Private detective Leonard C.M. Johnson had a career that could fill countless crime thrillers. Working the streets of Chicago since 1919, he was at the […]
Beating out the Nazis in Mechernich, Germany, 1945
March 15, 1945. The war in Europe is coming to an end. Although Germany’s surrender is just weeks away, its troops continue to put up […]
Leader of war-torn Poland speaks at Chicago’s Soldier Field, 1941
On a brisk Sunday afternoon, April 20, 1941, the roar of 75,000 voices filled Chicago’s Soldier Field- not for a game, but a wartime rally. […]
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. […]
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, […]
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 […]
The time an airplane nose stuck out from a Downtown Chicago skyscraper
In July 1944, a curious sight greeted pedestrians at the corner of State and Madison streets in Downtown Chicago. Sticking out from the Mandel Brothers […]
Jewish boys and German PoWs: the curious history of a WWII farm labor camp near Des Plaines
Camp Pine Woods is a part of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County (FPDCC), located north of Des Plaines. The entrance is on Lake […]
Adam Wolanin: Chicago’s Polish immigrant at the 1950 FIFA World Cup
At the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the United States national team carried out one of the biggest upsets in the competition’s history- defeating […]
Celebrating Polish Armed Forces Day 2022 in Niles
On 14 August 2022, in celebration of Poland’s Armed Forces Day, the Polish Consulate General in Chicago headed a series of ceremonies all across the […]
Soldiers learn important lesson in backpacking at Harms Woods
Once the soldiers from Camp Skokie Valley arrived at Harms Woods in Glenview, they quickly set to task pitching up tents and preparing for a […]
A serendipitous photo-taking trip to Fort Sheridan on Lake Michigan
After a long week at work, I decided to go up to Fort Sheridan to take some photos on my day off. I set out […]
A good boy that served: Pal, the Jefferson Park war dog who returned home
All his family knew was that he spent thirty-one months overseas. When he returned to his Jefferson Park home in early 1946, the army veteran […]
Books for Russia: Glenview sends aid to Soviet students, 1946
In February 1946, the residents of Glenview joined a nationwide drive to collect books for students in the Soviet Union. The ‘Books for Russia’ campaign […]
Nazi Germany’s final days, and a GI’s unique souvenir
The souvenir was an unusual choice. With the fighting in Germany now over, Sgt. Robert J. Roeber decided to bring home an enemy hospital sign. […]
Season’s greetings from the Navy’s LST-77
Roger L. Christie selected a postcard with an image of the ship he sailed on, the USS LST-77. He wrote a brief message to a […]
An English war bride teaches music at the Latin School of Chicago
In 1941, Mary Younghusband was a newly certified school teacher. She did not imagine that her career would take her beyond the limits of her […]
Dance crazy: swinging to the music in wartime Chicago
During World War II, Chicago’s ballrooms, hotels, and other dance venues, buzzed with activity. In those uncertain times Americans celebrated life with dance. Providing a […]
A Polish refugee learns the ‘GI Salute’ in 1950
Stanley Kozak, born Stanisław, was my great-uncle. As a teenager he was abducted by the Nazis during the Second World War, and he ultimately settled in Chicago as a war refugee. He was then called upon to serve his adopted country in 1950.
Glenview’s Baxter Laboratories saves American war wounded
Baxter International Inc. is a healthcare company with a global presence. Its first major production facility was in Glenview, Illinois, and within the space of […]
The 28 submarines that sailed up the Chicago River
On the Chicago Riverwalk just west of Outer Drive Bridge, before the Columbus Drive bridge, exists a memorial dedicated to the United States Navy’s submariners. […]
Hackney’s on Harms, and the time they served patrons tear gas
Just south of Lake Avenue on Harms Road in Glenview is ‘Hackney’s on Harms’. Serving customers ever since the Prohibition Era, Hackney’s is a popular […]
Big noise in a little forest: Camp Skokie Valley
Blue Star Memorial Woods is located in the Village of Glenview, a community on Chicago’s affluent North Shore. Inside these woods was once a vibrant […]
Writing home: life in the Navy’s ‘black’ boot camp
The small manila envelope sat on top of a tray of old documents. Curious to know what was inside, I picked it up and slid […]
Graves of Polish Veterans in an ‘All-American City’
Entering Maryhill Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum in Niles, Illinois, visitors are immediately greeted by a large information panel. A map shows the location of the […]