World War II Veteran

Robert Larson was a young man with a horn, just 18 and graduated high school when on Nov. 22, 1942, he joined the U.S. Navy to play in the band on ships.

World War II airplane gunner and Hispanic political activist honored by city

The Joliet native served on 66 combat missions as aerial gunner before B-17 was shot down over Germany. He will be remembered on Veterans Day with a ceremony at 3 p.m. Saturday at the statue at Collins and Ohio streets.

Memorial unveiled Wednesday tells of 28 submarines that passed through Joliet on their way to World War II.

Historical information on a broad level is easily available. But local stories preserve history’s impact as it unfolded and gives us, the listeners, a deep understanding.

Art Peterson of Spring Grove tells the story of father, who died when his plane was shot down over Germany during World War II, and the letters he wrote home to his "dear Marie."

Tribute was paid to Three World War II veterans received special acknowledgmentWorld War II veterans on Feb. 4

Latimer Correa, then 20, saw Pearl Harbor just weeks after it was attacked by Japan. “I had to get in and fight for it,” he said.

A handful of laminated newspaper clippings tell their story

Two of Countryman’s daughters, Georgia Donisch, 85, of Plainfield; and Mary Papesh, 90, of Joliet, were still alive to receive him back.

My father "was the lead bombardier, so he was the one to open up the bombardier doors, everybody else behind him opened their doors. So if he missed, they all missed," the son of a Woodstock WWII vet says

Papesh said he couldn’t believe the U.S. Army’s Reparations division now had a positive identification for Countryman and that the family really hadn’t expected it would happen.

A cold winter day. That’s how Georgia Donisch, 85, of Plainfield, remembers Nov. 20, 1944, the day she learned that her father, Arthur Countryman, a World War II soldier, had been killed.

WWII veteran laid to rest in Plainfield 77 years after he’s killed

On June 15, Brian Papesh of Joliet received a call from the Army Repatriation Division.

Georgia Donisch of Plainfield is 85 years old. But she can still hear the sounds of the footsteps of the soldiers marching to Union Station in Joliet to serve in World War II, hundreds of men, Donisch said.

Glenn Masek served his country, his family and fellow seniors with intention and a big smile

An elderly WWII veteran becomes a hero to help the abused woman next door

Review of this thriller by Jeanne Meeks of New Lenox will be featured in Tuesday’s LocalLit newsletter

Longtime Joliet businessman and musician Norbert Zielinski is in the hospital and not doing well

Community invited to help celebrate the WWII veteran’s milestone day on March 24