Community Corner
Wheaton WW2 Veteran Chosen for "Honor Flight" to Nation's Capital
Wheaton World War II Veteran Don Slapak, 86, was honored for his service on "Honor Flight Chicago"—to visit the nation's capital.
Last week, a Wheaton World War II veteran was one of 95 World War Two veterans who traveled to Washington, D.C. on “Honor Flight Chicago” to visit the World War Two Memorial and other national landmarks.
Don Slapak, 86, joined the Army in 1941 at age 15, but fearing he was too young, his parents brought him home. He returned to service in the Marine Corps at 17. He served in the Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing in the South Pacific until December 18, 1945.
Nonprofit Honor Flight Chicago was founded to recognize veterans, specifically from World War II, with a day of honor, remembrance and celebration. With over 1,000 veterans on the organization’s waiting list, Slapak said in a statement that when the VFW State Commander Bill Wolff urged him to apply, “I felt that others more deserving than myself should go,” but when another Marine urged him to apply, he couldn’t say ‘no.’
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In a letter to Slapak, Wheaton Mayor Mike Gresk wrote, “Your self-sacrifice and dedicated service, along with thousands of other fine men and women of the Armed Forces, is a debt this country cannot repay—we can only offer you our sincere gratitude.
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“World War II veterans are of a humble nature, seeking neither praise nor recognition—you consider yourselves ordinary men and women who were just doing their job,” he wrote.
Slapak also received letters of thanks from Governor Pat Quinn, DuPage County Sheriff John Zaruba and Congressman Robert Dodd.
“Seeing the World War II Memorial will be a humbling experience and a great privilege,” Slapak said in a statement. “I went into the Marines with two arms and two legs and I left service with the same two arms and two legs. Lots of soldiers weren’t so lucky and so many of them never came back at all. I’m expecting to cry quite a bit on this trip.”
“I’m just an ordinary guy,” he said. “Just a regular Marine.”
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