Two events which took place in August of past years have helped to shape a special event to be held in Park Forest this November.
It was duly noted that Sunday, Aug. 14, marked the 77th anniversary of the end of World War II. Those who remembered paid attention. Even before President Harry Truman officially announced the surrender of Japan, this nation was awash in public celebrations. Tightly grasping my mother’s hand, this 10-year-old tried to maneuver his way along State Street in the Loop, a congested roadway covered in confetti and overflowing with celebratory throngs.
Jump to some four years later, in August 1949, a time when World War II veterans were among the first moving into the new community of Park Forest. It was basically an unformed place welcoming those who returned from service in the then most recent war as they settled into rental units bordering unpaved sidewalks with streets, some of which were named for Medal of Honor recipients from the state.
Someone began calling the community a “G.I. (government issue) Town.” The name stuck through the years.
Later, a village Veterans Commission was formed to “insure the quality of life” for area veterans and, after a villagewide yard sale in 2015, was able to establish a Veterans Closet at 351 Founders Way, which helps all returning service personnel struggling to adjust to civilian life with free donations of household essentials.
This year, on Nov. 10, and as part of the village’s weekend Veterans Day observance, the Veterans Commission will pay tribute to three women with strong or fleeting ties to the state and who defended our country:
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* U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois flew combat missions during the Iraq War.
* Well-known motivational speaker and Chicago native Vernice Armour, who was the first Black woman naval aviator and the first female combat aviator in the Marine Corps.
* Amy Bauernschmidt, the first woman commanding officer of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln.
Because of their schedules, Ann LaFrance, the vice chairwoman of the commission, says it may not be possible to have any of the three in town for the day, especially Bauernschmidt, who is on active duty.
The commission is also seeking the oldest and youngest veteran in the village to take a short Honor Flight in a Huey helicopter, to be flown in especially for the event, and is raising funds through donations and the sale of T-shirts for $20 which commemorate the events of the day.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, about 16 million men and women served during World War II with some 240,000 still alive. By the end of this decade, they may all be gone.
War touches everyone. If you walk past the Village Green, you might see a plaque with the names of six men from Park Forest who went to war and never returned home. That day in August 1945 raised hopes for a peaceful world, but since then this country has been involved in 30 wars, conflicts, interventions and invasions. I think this is why we need to honor those who keep us safe from harm.
Bumper crop
Someone once told me that if you had a backyard garden and did not grow tomatoes, you could be deported. The theory being that everyone who can plant a household crop is obliged to grow tomatoes.
As loyal citizens, we obey this unwritten rule and each year we harvest a small crop of tomatoes. The sweetness of this ripe fruit lingers in our memory for weeks and is a siren’s song, tempting us to plant an even better crop the next summer.
We have our favorites, be it a sweet cherry, a sugary baseball-sized hybrid and an even larger heirloom that tastes as if it were the queen of the tomato world.
Today our garden is a treasure of nine large plants laden with green turning pink, turning red fruit, hovering over a classic mixture of other plants.
It is summer and our garden is full of August and September promise.
Jerry Shnay is a freelance columnist for the Daily Southtown.