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. […]
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 […]
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.
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 […]