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Extraordinary Memorial Day Ceremony Planned
May 28, Lions Park, Mount Prospect, IL
Members of Mount Prospect’s VFW Post 1337 and American Legion Post 525 have a special Memorial Day remembrance planned this year.
In addition to the annual Lions Park ceremony, they will dedicate a new section of the Lions Park Veteran’s Memorial to 15 Mount Prospect service people who lost their lives while serving in the United States military. The event is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Monday, May 28.
Representatives of the Mt. Prospect Park District, the Mount Prospect Historical Society and the Mount Prospect Public Library, worked alongside the veterans this winter and spring to locate the names and stories of Mount Prospect residents who were lost over the years while serving in the military so they could be commemorated with their names added to the Veterans Memorial at Lions Park. The memorial is adjacent to the Veterans Memorial Band Shell in Lions Memorial Park. It has been designed as a tranquil, contemplative setting featuring a fountain and columns for engraved bricks.
To kick off the project, the Mt. Prospect Parks Foundation, the Mount Prospect Lions Club as well as the VFW Post 1337 and American Legion Post 525, have donated to the veterans’ memorial. “We are very grateful to the Parks Foundation and Lions Club for their generous contributions to the memorial,” stated Dutch DeGroot, chairman of the project. “Veterans and their families will have a place to visit and honor their Mount Prospect service members for years to come.”
The search revealed that Mount Prospect lost residents to World War II and the Vietnam War, as well as during peacetime service, but as far as known, none were lost during World War I, Korea, the two Persian Gulf Wars or Afghanistan. There is space remaining on the memorial, however, to include at future ceremonies the names of those who might inadvertently have been missed, according to DeGroot.
Mount Prospect’s residents have long and faithfully served the United States as members of the nation’s military, protecting its shores and interests, a service that inevitably brings with it loss.
That is why the veteran organizations of Mount Prospect this year will permanently memorialize those from Mount Prospect who made the ultimate sacrifice while in service to the United States.
The veterans to be memorialized on May 28 are:
- World War II – Arthur W. Flesch, Robert W. Haake, Herman J. Heide, Phillip Winston Kaiser, Elmer Henry Piepenbrink, Victor William Sander and Frank F. Schott Jr.
- Vietnam War – William Daley, Frank F. Gagliano and David William Skibbe.
- Peacetime – Barry Richard Chumbley, Glen Edward Miller, Michael John Keane and Ronald Dean Odom.
DeGroot asks that if anyone can get in touch with members of any of these veterans’ families who may no longer reside in Mount Prospect, that they please do so and let them know about the upcoming remembrance ceremony and permanent memorial. Those who do not wish to contact the families personally, but have information about their whereabouts, may email DeGroot at service_officer@vfw1337.us.
Mary Hagan Wajer – 1944-2018
We are very sad to report the death of Mary Hagan Wajer on April 22. She was an early Mount Prospect Historical Society president, working with Society pioneers like Dolores Haugh, Gertrude Francek, Edith Freund, Meta Bittner, Jack Weber and Doris Weber Norris to get the Society off the ground. She also co-wrote the “Mount Prospect: Where Town and Country Met” book with Jean Murphy in 1992.
Mary was born and raised in Des Plaines. She earned her undergraduate degree in history at Loyola University and her master’s degree at Western Illinois University. Her thesis was on the history of Elk Grove Township. She later worked at the Des Plaines Library and the Indian Trails Library.
Mary was the beloved wife of Ronald Wajer for 48 years and the mother of Mike and the late Cathy Wajer. Visitation will be held on Sunday, April 29, from 1 until 6 p.m. with a funeral service beginning at 4 p.m. at G.L. Hills Funeral Home, 745 Graceland Ave., Des Plaines. For more information, call 847-699-9003 or glhillsfuneralhome.com.
History Lovers Gathered to Celebrate Flappers, Gangsters and the 1933 World’s Fair
Approximately 100 history-lovers gathered at the Rob Roy Country Club in Prospect Heights Saturday night for the Mount Prospect Historical Society’s seventh annual History in the Headlines dinner dubbed the “Guys and Dolls Speakeasy Soirée.”
Many of the partygoers wore clothing of the 1920s or 1930s to help the Mount Prospect Historical Society re-imagine the atmosphere enjoyed in area speakeasies during Prohibition.
After dinner they were entertained by Bill Hazelgrove, author of “Al Capone and the 1933 World’s Fair,” who talked about Capone’s gangster life and how worried World’s Fair organizers got him out of the picture during the event, as well as about little-known aspects of the fair itself.
The MPHS added exhibits on Mount Prospect’s brief brushes with gangsters over the years to add a local touch to the evening. There was also a challenging 1920s and 30s trivia competition with a wide range of small prizes.
Proceeds from the event have been directed to the Mount Prospect Historical Society’s Operating Fund.
Historical Society Collaborates on Veteran’s Project
The Mount Prospect Historical Society is collaborating with American Legion Post 525 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1337, as well as the Mount Prospect Public Library and the Mt. Prospect Park District, on a project to establish a memorial for Mount Prospect residents who were killed while in service to their country.
The project will involve identifying service members and then finding obituaries and other biographical information. Leading the project for the American Legion/VFW is Loren Helwink, a Mount Prospect resident.
To kick off the project, the Mt. Prospect Parks Foundation has donated $3,000 to the memorial. Once the material has been gathered, an appropriate memorial will be chosen and unveiled on Memorial Day. The memorial is adjacent to the Veterans Memorial Band Shell in Lions Memorial Park. It has been designed as a tranquil, contemplative setting featuring a fountain and columns for engraved bricks. A limited number of bricks are also available for purchase. To purchase a brick through the Mt. Prospect Park District, visit www.mppd.org.
Please contact the Mount Prospect Historical Society via info@mtphist.org if you have information about a Mount Prospect service member who was killed in action.
The VFW Post 1337 is reserved for veterans who have received a campaign medal for overseas service; have served 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days in Korea; or have ever received hostile fire or imminent danger pay. They meet monthly at Arlington Legion Post 208, 121 N. Douglas, Arlington Heights.
American Legion Post 525, founded in 1930 by 16 World War I veterans, provides service to veterans, the community and nation. It is open to any former service member whether they experienced hostile fire or not. Meetings are held monthly at Arlington Legion Post 208 in Arlington Heights.