WWII Veterans Receives Legion of Honor Medal

By

In July, John Chrenka (age 94), WWII veteran from Berwyn, Illinois, received the Legion of Honor medal—the highest distinction awarded by France. This honor was given to him for his service in Omaha Beach and across northern France.

John Chrenka enlisted in the army in 1942 and served until the war ended in 1945. He accepted his medal from French Consul General, Vincent Floreani at the First Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton.

During the ceremony First Division Museum’s Andrew Woods performed a song that Chrenka wrote as a young soldier in England. As Andrew sang, Chrenka remembered every single word of his song and, in a soft voice, began to sing along.

This is the latest honor for the already decorated Sergeant Chrenka who also has a Bronze Star and fought in the Battle of the Bulge.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Securing Meaningful Careers for Chicago Veterans

By
Image
by Megan Everett, Director, Veterans Program There are a lot of misconceptions about veterans. PTSD or on the brink of committing suicide. Physically aggressive. Broken heroes. The list goes on and on. Veteran-stereotypes are just that, stereotypes. And like most stereotypes they are not true. The reality is most veterans are neither heroes nor broken, they are normal people looking to lead happy lives, have loving families, and obtain meaningful, successful careers. Sadly, this is not reality that most veterans face when returning from service. According to a recent survey issued by the University of Southern California and Loyal University of Chicago, Chicago veterans are unprepared for the shift from military to civilian workforce, and, consequently struggle during the transition process. The study also showed about half of post-9/11 veterans, returning to Chicago, will experience a period of unemployment. Here’s the thing — veterans ARE trained leaders for whom account
Read more

Saving Local Businesses in Greater Englewood

By
Image
For 36 years, Tess Porter has owned and managed Tess’ Style Shop at the intersection of Garfield Boulevard and South Ashland Avenue. She’s seen iconic, name-brand businesses — signs with golden arches and burger crowns — come and go. She’s seen children walk by, stop in, grow up and have their own children do the same. She’s hired locally, given generously and waved at thousands of passers-by as she reinvested, time and again, into her business. Everyone knows that Tess’ Style Shop is the place to go in Englewood for beauty and grooming services and supplies, for women and men, behind big, plate-glass windows. Everyone including looters, who in the heat of the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in May 2020, broke Tess’ beautiful big windows, entered her store and ravaged it terribly. “It was heartbreaking. I cried,” said Tess. “It was hard because I’ve been here a long time. I felt like they not only should have known who I am, but that they should’ve had a little bit more respect fo
Read more

Creating Opportunities for Youth in Little Village

By
Image
For over 30 years, Central States SER, a workforce development and education organization in Little Village, has helped thousands of individuals achieve their academic and career goals to improve their quality of life. For Youth Program Manager Adrean Vargas, his connection to the organization spans back to his own youth. “I grew up in Pilsen with these types of afterschool programs, including Saturday and summer school programs. They were my life saviors, my escape and where I felt safe,” said Adrean, who participated in GED programming at SER as a teenager. “Being part of the LGBTQ community, I made it my mission to create those safe spaces for people like me who need an escape from home. My job is to make a safe environment where everyone feels comfortable.” SER works with individuals of all age ranges, as it offers various workforce development programs, such as job training and financial coaching, and youth programs ranging from mentorship to summer employment for teens. “As th
Read more