Ken Molnaire: An essential component of Patton’s Third Army
marc.zarefsky2024-04-10T10:58:50-05:00Born 99 years ago this March, Kenneth “Ken” Molnaire grew up in Chicago. Living in Edison Park he attended Ebinger School, graduating in 1939.
Born 99 years ago this March, Kenneth “Ken” Molnaire grew up in Chicago. Living in Edison Park he attended Ebinger School, graduating in 1939.
Donna Cooley enlisted in the Army at a time when military duties that were traditionally done by men started opening up to women. She said “it was a tough time for women because the Army wasn’t prepared and didn’t know what to do with us.”
Major John Ashford knew he was in a bad situation on that dangerous day in Bosnia in 1996. What he didn’t know was how fast it was going to go from bad to worse.
Thomas Legg grew up in North Hammond, Indiana. His father, a World War II veteran, was in the Civil Defense and was a very strict man. Tom was in the Boys Scouts and also took first aid courses for his medical merit badges.
The Korean War Legacy Foundation website encourages visitors to “imagine being a young soldier thrust into a foreign country thousands of miles away to fight a war.”
Don Talbot spent his first years with parents, Walter and Helen, in their home on the southside of Chicago. Upon completing 7th grade at Madison Grade School, Walter and Helen, with Don and his siblings, Barb, Wally and Bobby, moved to their new home in Harvey, Illinois.
Bruce Hansen's military career began when he told his Dad, a Marine Raider during WWII, that he would follow in his footsteps and enlist in the Marines. It was 1968, and 18-year-old Bruce was working as a carpenter/laborer, trying to get ahead of the Vietnam draft.
Johnnie Williams grew up in Gary, IN the oldest of 12 children. After graduating high school in 1961, he worked at White Castle for three years. He and his cousin were the first blacks ever to work at White Castle in Hammond, IN
On March 2, 1965, Joseph P. (“Joe”) Phelan flew his rescue helicopter to pick up a downed fighter pilot in North Vietnam. By doing so he participated in the first air rescue in the North.
Talking with WWII Veteran Raymond Gervais, he said “I always wanted to be doing something”, from his WWII and Korean days, to playing volleyball in his 60’s, or working with his canine search and rescue team. He has certainly kept himself active.
William “Cecil” Johnson celebrated his 18th birthday in 1954 by joining the army with the intention of becoming a ”lifer”.
“I was, and still am, proud, humbled and honored to have been chosen to be a Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.”
Ignacio ‘Nacho’ says he’s a Navy man that never set foot on a ship. Still, he’s proud of his naval service as a crew chief on a C-121 Constellation known as the Typhoon Tracker that traveled throughout the Pacific.
It would be an understatement to say that Larry Krog always made up his own mind.
Harry DeBruin grew up in a house with a horse stable near Lansing, IL. His family owned 50 horses and they boarded an additional 50 horses.
While political powers battled for supremacy during the Cold War, Airman Jesse Kimp was just trying to keep warm while serving late night guard duty in Alaska Territory.
Joseph Lombardi was born in Chicago in 1947 and raised in the Cragin neighborhood on the northwest side of the city. His father had served under George Patton in World War II and fought in the Battle of the Bulge.
Roger Dexter was born in Melrose Park, Illinois in 1945, the fourth of five children. His father served in the Army in World War II but was never sent overseas, in part because of the large number of children he had.
Longtime Honor Flight Chicago volunteer James “Jim” Parker usually wears an orange shirt on flight days, signifying his role in supporting the honored veterans. On flight day this month, Jim will put on a gray shirt, symbolizing he’s one of the veterans being celebrated on HFC flight #110.
It was the uniform that first caught her eye. Not the bell bottoms that the boys wore, but the deep blue, tailored cut of the WAVE uniform that brought Gloria Harnett Kerzner to the Navy recruitment office in 1944.