In November, a new display debuted at the Chicagoland Combined Veterans Museum, Library & Honor Wall in River Grove, Illinois. It features twenty-two objects from […]
Celebrating Polish Armed Forces Day at the American Czestochowa, 2024
On the morning of August 18, the grounds of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, in Doylestown, PA, teemed with life. A throng […]
Uncrating a WWII veteran’s war trophies from the Pacific
Working estate sales, I often come across military memorabilia. Most times it is simply a uniform, a photo album, or some other odds and ends. […]
Reporting to the National Park Service on Staten Island
Late last year I began hunting for jobs. I sent out dozens of applications in different industries, looking for something that would stick. It was […]
Poland decorates a 102-year-old World War II veteran in Chicago
On the morning of Friday, March 8, 2024, the Polish Consul General in Chicago visited the home of local resident Zofia Biernadska. The 102-year-old veteran […]
Giving a living history presentation to Polish school students in Des Plaines
On a Saturday morning, students at General Wladyslaw Anders Polish School in Des Plaines received a special treat. Visiting them was a group of Polish […]
Target Des Plaines: Local Police Hunt Down Wartime “Saboteurs,” 1943
On the dark and stormy night of August 2, 1943, the Des Plaines police department prowled the city’s dimly lit streets. Their mission: stop three […]
Hidden in plain sight: German prisoners buried at Fort Sheridan
Buried at Fort Sheridan National Cemetery, in Lake Forest, Illinois, are over 2,300 veterans. Their presence represents more than 150 years of American military history, […]
The Last Survivor: meeting Col. Cieszkowski, a Polish WWII veteran of the Battle of France
On a recent education course in Poland, I became friends with a teacher who offered me the opportunity of a lifetime. He asked if I […]
Archaeologists uncover relics from Camp Pine, a WWII prisoner of war camp near Des Plaines
In May 2019, a team of archaeologists and volunteers met in Camp Pine Woods, near the Chicago suburb of Des Plaines. Their mission: survey a […]