Veterans Roll Call at 6th Annual Niles Breakfast

November Veterans Day Exhibit at Niles Library




The World War I soldier's profile is an adaptation of an illustration from the cover of the
 library's copy of Sebastian Faulk's novel Birdsong. The replica items of World War II
battlefield fare were kindly loaned for exhibit by the Pritzker Military Library. The
World War I uniform on the left and Victory Medal in the "Great War for Civilization"
as well as the complete World War II Army Air Corps flight surgeon's uniform on the right
were assembled by Niles resident and collector Christopher Reuscher to honor the military
career of 99-year old Dr. Irwin Williger who is the oldest participant in the Veterans
History Project at the Niles Library.

 



The items above, including facsimilie cigarettes, matches, and toilet paper as well as such meal rations as Spam were loaned for exhibition by Nancy Houghton, the Director of External Affairs at the Pritzker Military Library at 104 S.Michigan Avenue.



50th Interview Addded! - Mr. John M McCann

Rich Wozniczka of the library's Information Technology Services Department pointed out that the most recent interview was the 50th for the Niles VHP effort.

Mr. McCann served as a radarman aboard the USS Case in the Pacific during World War II. His interview can be read and heard at the library and will soon be similarly available over the internet through the Niles Public Library's homepage.

Library Board President's Remarks at 5th Annual VHP Breakfast

Barbara Nakashini, the President of the Board of the Niles Public Library District, speaks to the veterans and guests as she shares her family's participation in World War II. Her father, Harry Gembala, is a Veteran,who served in the Army with the Occupation Forces in Japan for a year just after World War II. Her Uncle Walter, who was in the audience, served with the Army in the Battle of the Bulge and was awarded a Bronze Star.

Her father-in-law, Masahe Nakanishi, now deceased, was part of the Army’s 442nd Combat Regimental Team unit, which was comprised entirely of Japanese-Americans. He, along with thousands of Japanese-Americans, had been removed from their homes in California and placed in interment camps. He joined the Army and fought in Europe with the famed 442 whose famous motto was "Go for Broke."

She called attention to the ceremony held that very day in Washington when Congress would award its highest civilian honor to the Japanese-American soldiers who fought in World War II. Dozens of the veterans, known as Nisei, a Japanese term for children born with American citizenship, were at the Capitol to receive the Congressional Gold Medal for their service in the war. The medal is the highest civilian award given by Congress. Her husband Joe's two brothers represented the family at the ceremony.

Mrs. Nakanishi provided these two pictures of the hard-earned medal.

Fifth Annual Veterans History Project Breakfast Wednesday, November 2, 2011

34 veterans can be viewed in this year's official picture, taken by Sasha Vasilic, the Publicity and Graphic Design Coordinator of the Niles Library.

The veterans appearing in the picture are from left to right sitting in the first row: Gus Habighurst, Bernard Warchol, Bill Shipp, Martha Shipp, Donald Spitzer, Arthur Shapiro, Irv Blaszynski, and Mike Kozyra. In the second row from left to right are: Walter Gembala, Niels H.K. Larsen, Leonard DeFabio, Walter Tymczuk, John McCann, Matthew Wojtaszek, Max Kolpas, Judith Carlson (for Norman Berkman), Sam Schechter, and Irv Abramson. In the third row from left to right are: Robert Morris, Kenneth Radnitzer, David Shugan, Jack Weinberg, Charles Matz, Harry Webber, Jerry Levin, and Russell Zapel. In the fourth row standing from left to right are: Charles Borowsky, Robert Lavery, John Bugajsky, Chuck Jacobs, Matthew Potoczek, Mike McNulty, Rich Hyland, Marty O'Malley, Richard Vana, and Tom Vana. Present but not in the picture was Albert Dominick.

The delicious breakfast was arranged by the Library's Marketing Director, Sue Wilsey, who worked in concert with with the generous Regency Rehabilitation Center of Niles . Caryl Kiser, the Regency's Director of Marketing, and her assistant Grace Nowakowski pitched in to help serve the breakfast for the 35 veterans and their guests and 29 Niles Library patrons as 79 people in all attended the breakfast. The food and beverage service at the breakfast was coordinated by the library's Cyndi Rademacher.

Linda Weiss, the Director of the Niles Public Library, and Barbara Nakanishi, President of the Niles Library Board of Trustees, welcomed and congratulated the special guests. Mrs. Weiss announced a donation of $500 from the library and the Friends of the Library to the Honor Flight Chicago Program. Chris Hanusiak, the President of the Friends and a veterans sent his warm wishes to the day's honorees. Veterans Rich Hyland and Marty O'Malley of the Silver Helmet-winning AMVETS Post #18 spoke about the AMVETS work to establish the Honor Flight in Chicago. The Legacy Girls as the Andrews Sisters provided the knock-out entertainment to conclude the successful event.

Mr. Vasilic's post of the "5th Annual Veterans Breakfast" to TribLocal was selected to lead Niles's local coverage.

Charles Jacobs and His Honor Flight

Chuck made his Honor Flight on Wednesday, August 10, catching a dawn flight aboard Southwest Airlines. Upon his 9 p.m. return to Midway Airport, he is pictured with his wife Margaret and sons, Tim, Mark and Chris from left to right. Chuck served as a Pharmacist's Mate, 2nd Class, aboard the USS Sims (DE 154/APD 50) during its service in support of the Okinawa invasion.




Chuck was the first veteran to be interviewed at the Niles Public Library for the Veterans History Project.


Adrienne Szulczynski, pictured on the left, organized the library's welcoming team and crafted the engaging, colorful, tri-fold poster. A Navy veteran herself, she had her picture taken later in the evening with an Officer Zumwalt, a grand nephew of the famous Admiral.

Martha Barsky Interview

Then Martha Kleczewski, Mrs. Barsky joined the WAVES during World War II after she and Mr. Barsky became engaged. She and Mr. Barsky are the second couple to interview for the Veterans History Project Collection at the Niles Public Library. Bill and Martha Shipp had done so previously. Mrs. Barsky's interview is now available for reading at the library and her transcript and audio recording will soon be available via the library's site at nileslibrary.org.

Giving Thanks to Military Families with Books

Reach out and Read supports families at 44 U.S. military bases, serving more than 90,000 children of military families. The public can donate a book or sponsor a child in the program.

Annual May Library Display, May 2010

Veterans Al Aronson, Gus Habighurst, Chuck Jacobs, Niels Larsen, Ralph Ponfil, and Dick Vana contributed service items for the exhibit.

Remembering Okinawa: 65 Years Later Panel Participants

Three Marines Charles Matz, Ken Radnitzer, and Dick Vana are joined by Navy veterans Walter Beusse and Don Lewan as they field questions from the audience about their experiences in the Pacfic.

Remembering Okinawa, 65 Years Later 4th clip

Remembering Okinawa, 65 Years Later 2nd clip

Remembering Okinawa: 65 Years Later, 3rd clip

Remembering Okinawa: 65 Years Later

Mr. Kenneth Radnitzer, Richard Vana and Charles Matz on his 91st Birthday were the guests of honor at the discussion and film program. The 3 U.S. Marines all fought in the last battle of World War II. There are 6 short clips in all from the 2 hour program

Veteran's History Project Interview of Norman R. Berkman.

Mr. Berkman served two tours of duty, first in Counter-Intelligence and then in Military Intelligence in Germany after the war.

Dog tag profiling Korean War

This tag was provided by Niels H. K. Larsen, recent president of the Korean War Veterans, Greater Chicago Chapter.

3rd Annual Veterans History Project Breakfast Photographs

On Wednesday morning, November 4, 2009, Linda Weiss, the Niles Library Director, Morgan Dubiel, President of the Library Board, and Chris Hanusiak, President of the Friends of the Library, welcomed the guests of honor and those present at the community breakfast. The Regency Rehabilitation Center co-sponsored the breakfast and the Battlefield Balladeers provided the musical entertainment on a Lincoln Bicentennial theme. The photographs were taken by Sasha Vasilic.

1st row: Martha Shipp, Walter Tymczuk, Paul Schneller, Sam Schechter, Judith Carlson for Norman Berkman, Charles Matz, Eugene Kopacz,

In the 2nd picture Harry Webber and John DeCecco can be seen sitting to the left of Mrs. Shipp in the first row.


2nd row: Bill Shipp, Niels Larsen, Chuck Jacobs, Matthew Wojtaszek, Max Kolpas, Irving Abramson, Mike Kozyra, Donald Spitzer



3rd row: George Terzian, Irvin Blaszynski, Leonard DeFabio, Kenneth Radnitzer, Matthew Potoczek, Don Lewan, Bob Dauber, Richard Vana,

Tom Vana, Martin O’Grady, Robert Crandall, Russell Zapel.

Gus Habighurst, who also attended the breakfast, appears in the last picture

Veterans History Project Interview, Matthew Potoczek

Veterans History Project Interview Sol J. Schatz

Veterans History Project Interview