May 24 - 31, 2021 Vol. 29 No. 21
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Arts & (Home) Entertainment
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SportsWise
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Cover Story: Memorial Day
We are replacing our usual calendar with virtual events and recommendations from StreetWise vendors, readers and staff to keep you entertained at home! Vendor Russell Adams and Executive Assistant Patrick Edwards continue their conversation on Kareem AbdulJabbar. Milton Lee Olive III threw himself on a hand grenade to save his buddies in the Vietnam War, for which he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 1966. He was the first African American to receive the nation's highest military honor in the Vietnam War. Several of his buddies talk about Olive and his lasting effect on their lives. When a military service member from Chicago was killed during World War II, the city held a ceremony where a plaque with name and a gold star was installed on a post near their home. The families behind two remaining plaques on the northwest side talk about their relative and their continuing efforts to maintain the plaques.
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Inside StreetWise
Vendor A. Allen pays tribute to Chicago veterans, including multiple StreetWise Vendors.
The Playground ON THE COVER & THIS PAGE: Memorial plaque in Milton Lee Olive Park. (Stella Kapetan photo).
Dave Hamilton, Creative Director/Publisher
dhamilton@streetwise.org
StreetWiseChicago @StreetWise_CHI
Suzanne Hanney, Editor-In-Chief
suzannestreetwise@yahoo.com
Amanda Jones, Director of programs
ajones@streetwise.org
Julie Youngquist, Executive director
jyoungquist@streetwise.org
Ph: 773-334-6600 Office: 2009 S. State St., Chicago, IL, 60616
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ARTS & (HOME) ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Since being stuck inside, which shows have you been watching? Which movies? Have you read any good books lately? Any new music releases have you dancing in your living room? StreetWise vendors, readers and staff are sharing what is occupying their attention during this unprecedented time. To be featured in a future edition, send your recommendations of what to do at home and why you love them to Creative Director / Publisher Dave Hamilton at dhamilton@streetwise.org
Dance your heart out!
National Tap Dance Day "Aisha": Celebrate National Tap Dance Day with the premiere of “Aisha,” Tuesday, May 25, at 1 p.m. The first time that choreographer Starinah “Star” Dixon (pictured) heard “Aisha,” written by McCoy Tyner and performed by John Coltrane, she was drawn to the song and could feel Coltrane creating a vivid visual with the music that, for Dixon, symbolized love. Later, Dixon found out Tyner wrote this song for his wife and it all made sense—the music, the energy and the feelings this song created inspired Dixon to move. "The B.S. Shuffle": Charles Mingus’ music may seem chaotic, especially “Boogie Stop Shuffle,” whose underlying and catchy bass melody and rhythm belie its structural complexity. Tristan Bruns’ piece, “The B.S. Shuffle,” captures that sense of controlled chaos with his choice of syncopated and accented rhythms and a “dance-party-esque” vibe, where dancers seem to be coming at the viewer from every direction. There are also solo improvisations by the dancers of M.A.D.D. Rhythms using jazz-inspired expressions. May 25, at 7p.m. Both performances stream live at www.youtube.com/user/brilbarrett for FREE!
A Rich Culture!
(HOME) ENTERTAINMENT
Chicago Japan Film Collective The Chicago Japan Film Collective is proud to introduce the Midwest to some of Japan’s most original voices and to provide unique international screening opportunities for these talented filmmakers. With a focus on work created by women, the LGBTQ community, and minority filmmakers, the festival aims to introduce Midwestern audiences to the best in independent Japanese cinema, including narrative, documentary, and animation. Through these films, it hopes to connect Japanese and American cultures, create mutual understanding and respect, and expand exhibition and distribution possibilities within international, independent cinema. May 25 - 31, $15 for an all-access pass, full schedule at cjfc.us
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A new type of "School Play!"
‘National Merit’ Six high school students are forced into the world of standardized testing. W hat does it mean to be of “National Merit” status? W hat is the cost of toiling for this title? Who even gets to achieve it? With humor and heart, Valen-Marie Santos’s new play "National Merit" scrutinizes academic achievement, socioeconomic privilege, and racial injustice within a private school setting. BoHo Theatre is partnering with Northwestern University’s playwriting department to present this in-development reading from an up-and-coming playwright. Presented by the BoHo Theatre, May 24, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. Learn more at bohotheatre.com .
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Dancing Live!
Chicago Dance Month Kick-Off Celebration Featuring FREE in-person performances by Aerial Dance Chicago, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Mandala Arts, The Seldoms, in addition to an interactive lesson from May I Have This Dance. May 29, 3 - 4:30 p.m. at Navy Pier’s Lake Stage, 600 E. Grand Ave. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged to receive refreshments and be entered into a drawing for giveaways from various dance companies in the Chicagoland area. A very limited number of folding chairs will be available. Learn more at www.seechicagodance.com/dancemonth
Local Performers!
Chicago Takes 10: Puerto Rican Arts Alliance Chicago Takes 10 is a new virtual performance series sponsored by the Walder Foundation to provide support to performing artists and arts organizations that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The series highlights diverse performance styles throughout the Chicago region, featuring local musicians, performers, and dancemakers. This week, the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance is dedicated to preserving Puerto Rican culture by maintaining traditions, promoting Puerto Rican arts, providing educational opportunities in arts programming, and cultivating pride in Puerto Rican heritage for future generations. Watch Puerto Rican Arts Alliance’s live performance on May 27 at 6 p.m. on ChicagoTakes10.org.
Bird Watchers Unite!
Inspiration for a More Sustainable Birding Community with Tykee James Tykee James is the government affairs coordinator at the National Audubon Society, co-chair for the National Black and Latinx Scholarship Fund, and sits on the board of directors of the DC Audubon Society, Wyncote Audubon Society, Audubon Maryland-DC, the Birding Co-op, and the Academy of Natural Sciences at Drexel University. After moving to DC almost two years ago, he became grounded in his special role: organizing bird walks with members of Congress and congressional staff! Tykee has built residency in this work from his experience in Philadelphia, his hometown. His first job was as an environmental educator and community organizer in his own neighborhood. Tykee also served under a State Representative as her environmental policy advisor. He continues to develop himself as a leader through his fellowship with the Environmental Leadership Program and membership with the Green Leadership Trust. May 27, 6 p.m. This is a virtual event; Zoom information will be sent via email prior to the event. Register for FREE at eventbrite.com
Performance Festival!
Co-MISSION Festival of New Works Links Hall is proud to announce the 2021 Co-MISSION Festival of New Works, representing some of the most talented young makers in Chicago from dance, performance art, puppetry, installation, and performance as social practice. Six artists present works developed while in-residence at Links during the 2020-2021 season. This year’s festival also features a performance of 2020 Fellow Darling Shear’s "Beatitude," a choreopoem of movement, fashion, and poetry. Shear and ensemble present work explored after COVID-19 caused cancellation of the June 2020 Fellows Showcase. All festival performances will be filmed and recorded at Links Hall’s white box studio, and streamed live via YouTube at 7 p.m. daily. Thursday, May 27 - Elliot Reza Emadian's “MASCCHAOS” & Vanessa Valliere's “Pool Party.” Friday, May 28 - Taimy Ramos Velázquez's “4 walls & 1 me” & Cherrie Yu's “A Translation Project.” Saturday, May 29 - Hannah Michal Santistevan's “The Brink” & Kierah King's “Viewership Intended for Re(Creational) use only.” Sunday, May 30 - Darling Shear's “Beatitude.” FREE, but donations to cover artists fees greatly appreciated at https://tinyurl.com/LinksHallEvents
New Art, from the Street!
‘Liberation Among The Stars: A Past & Future Dream’ by Tesh Silver Ancestors no longer earthbound, suspended in infinite space. We long to be among them, finding a home that’s truly ours, where freedom is not a foreign word or long-sought goal, but finally made real. For as many times this world has turned against us, a new world awaits to embrace us in its abundance and let us call her home. Here we build anew. Here we heal. Here we will find joy! With illustrations that look both forward and to the past, I envision a new world that is not only fun, colorful and exciting but makes space to explore what Black liberation could look like in a hopefully not too distant future. Hop on the Mothership and see what’s possible! In the window of Co-Prosperity, 3219 S. Morgan St. from May 29 - June 28. Artist talk June 18. More information at coprosperity.org
-Compiled by Dave Hamilton
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Vendor Russell Adams chats with Executive Assistant Patrick Edwards.
Further
conversation on
SPORTSWISE
Patrick: When we featured Russ Adams a few weeks back discussing the legendary NBA star Kareem Abdul Jabbar on the occasion of his 74th birthday and his keynote speech at the Illinois Holocaust Museum 2021 Humanitarian Awards Dinner, we pointed out he was also an educator to many. Personally, I had not thought beyond the Skyhook he perfected on the basketball court. Well, the Skyhook and the goggles. I’m stoked to have been able to dig a bit deeper into the man with the golden hook! Please read the letter from Mr. Winschief (below), followed by a brief response from legendary vendor and SportsWise original member: Russ Adams. Patrick and Russ, I enjoyed the article on Kareem AbdulJabbar in the April 26th–May 2nd issue of StreetWise & especially the information of what Kareem has been doing since he retired. If I were going to ask a question, I would want to know his opinion on whether in today's college basketball environment, he feels that he'd have stayed at UCLA more than one year before bolting to the NBA. Abdul-Jabbar seems like someone who gained a lot of lifetime skills from his UCLA education, rather than just being at the school as an athlete alone. Also, I wonder what he felt at the time just after he became a
Muslim when several folks he knew were killed by a different faction of the group, with the deaths tied to the ElijahMuhammad & the Chicago Muslims if I remember correctly. This must have been a very tense time for Kareem. [In the same vein,] I wonder if Michael Jordan's father had not been murdered and Michael had continued to play for the Bulls after that tragic death, rather than attempting to play baseball, whether he might have established the record for most points in an NBA career. Jordan had 32,292 points in his career, 6,000 less than Kareem. Jordan scored 3,000+ points one season and might have come very close to the record. Also, instead of two "three-peats,” the Bulls might have had 8 straight NBA titles. Bill Winschief Russ: Bill, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I, like Patrick, never
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
knew this much about Kareem. Same for me, it was the Skyhook and the goggles— oh, and his role in Game of Death. Amazing, man. Patrick: Shoot, I remember seeing it with the neighborhood kids, including my sister and brothers, and when it was over, we were so excited that we ran through the streets doing karate! Man… Russ: So, y’all were those rugrats I saw in the streets back then? Hilarious. Patrick: (Laugh) So, what do you think about what Bill said? Russ: Overall, I agree that it’d be cool to find out Kareem’s answers to those questions, but, for me, I believe some players are meant for the pros. Kareem is one of those. He’s been able to beautifully merge his talents—his ball-
playing and his educationbuilding—over time. In regard to his becoming a Muslim during a tumultuous time, I imagine the religious and “spiritual” pull was enlightening enough to snag his entire soul. I agree it must’ve been a tense time for him. Lastly, I do believe Jordan could have broken Kareem’s record; however, I believe Jordan respected Kareem so much that it’s possible he wouldn’t have dared touch it. As for Jordan and the Bulls, I, also, believe the Bulls would’ve gotten at least eight of ‘em. Patrick: All right, Russ, done deal. Anything else? Russ: Yes. To Bill Winschief: Thank you for the food for thought. Any comments or suggestions? Email pedwards@streetwise.org
Milton Lee Olive III VietNam War Medal of Honor Recipient's Friends Remember their Fallen Comrade by Stella Kapetan
This Memorial Day weekend, couples will pose for wedding photographs, and joggers and bikers will navigate trails in Chicago’s Milton Lee Olive Park, the lakeside gem just north of Navy Pier dedicated to the 18-year-old paratrooper who during the Vietnam War sacrificed his life to save his fellow soldiers by throwing himself onto a live grenade. Private First Class Milton Lee Olive III was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 1966, the first African American from the Vietnam War to receive the nation’s highest military honor. Olive, nicknamed Skipper, was born in Chicago on Nov. 7, 1946. His mother Clara died four hours later. Relatives helped his father Milton B. Olive II care for him, and he went to live with his paternal grandparents in rural Lexington, Mississippi. Milton senior married Antoinette Mainor in 1952, and 7-year-old Skipper returned to Chicago to live with them in their South Side home. Milton senior doted on his only child. He was an amateur photographer and taught his son how to use a camera. Skipper gave out business cards printed with “Milton Olive III Chicago’s Only 12 Year Old Professional Photographer.” He would take his passion for photography to Vietnam, where he snapped many photos of friends and comrades. Skipper returned to live with his grandparents in Lexington for a while. Henry Lee Davis, his close high school friend, recently said: “If you got to know him you couldn’t help but love him - grownups and kids his own age. He was very, very outgoing. He was a very bright young man and had no inhibitions about approaching students and staff.” Davis, like Skipper, is an only child. “That gave us a connection,” Davis said. “He and I talked about being an only child and the isolation it caused.” Davis recalled a prediction 15-year-old Skipper made: “He said, ‘I’m not going to live long, but people will be proud of me.’ I said Oh, Milton you’re not going to die young. He said, ‘You’ll see’.” Skipper attended civil rights events and helped with African American voter registration. Fearing for his safety, his grandmother sent him back to Chicago. He left high school at 17 in 1964 to enlist in the Army, shipped off to Vietnam and became a paratrooper with the 173rd Airborne Brigade Separate.
Three of Olive’s friends who fought and lived alongside him recently recalled their bond and the horror of seeing him soon after he was killed. “It was a traumatic day when he died,” 74-year-old Samuel Kenneth “Ken” Grimes said from his home in Enterprise, Alabama. “I got real close to Olive. He was a great, downto-earth guy.” Grimes was 19 and Olive 18 when they met and quickly became fast friends, living in the same tent for a month and a week before Olive was killed. “We would spend 24 hours a day, seven days a week together,” he said. “We would sit and talk. We had a lot in common,” including an interest in photography. “He took pictures all the time.” Grimes still has about 20 photographs Olive gave him. The two listened to country music on Olive’s transistor radio and even got their hair cut together. They were also side by side in combat with Olive as an assistant gunner and Grimes as his ammunitions bearer. “When we were fired upon, we lied down together,” Grimes said. “We’d dig a foxhole. I’d sleep two hours, he would be up. He would sleep, and I would be up two hours.”
THIS PAGE: Entrance to Milton Lee Olive Park just north of Navy Pier (Stella Kapetan). Milton Olive at Airborne School graduation (courtesy photo). OPPOSITE PAGE: The Chicago skyline from Olive Park (Stella Kapetan photo). INSET: President Johnson hands Olive's Medal of Honor to his father at White House ceremony. At left is his stepmother, Antoinette; Mayor Richard J. Daley, and others (Frank Wolfe photo, Richard J. Daley collection, University of Illinois Chicago Library).
William Yates said the memory of Olive’s character has stayed with him through the years. “He didn’t see any wrong in anybody,” said Yates, 75, who slept in the cot next to Olive’s. “He is the only person who I know is definitely in heaven, other than my mother.” They often had long talks. “We would be on guard duty, and he would say how he had a good life.” Yates also remembered Olive’s love of country music. “Whenever you saw him, he had his transistor radio and his small Bible,” he said. Robert Toporek’s friendship with Olive was not so quickly forged. Toporek, 74, is white and was raised in segregated Charleston, South Carolina. “I played on Civil War cannons and believed the South would rise again,” he said. This had formed his views on race when he met Olive. “We used to provoke each other,” Toporek said. “We had the same temperament.” The two eventually fought. “It was a draw and we hugged. It was the only thing left to do. The only thing left was two men whose lives depended on each other.” It also changed his feelings on race. “Racism disappeared in me,” he said.
Toporek’s about-face on race, along with his friendship with Olive and Olive’s sacrifice, would lead him on an unexpected path when he returned home.
‘Then Out Comes This Black Hand and Grabs It’ Grimes described the events in the jungle on Oct. 22, 1965, the day Olive was killed, early in the war. That day Olive was a gunner and Grimes was his assistant gunner. “We were clearing an area,” Grimes said. “We were ambushed. We cleared a base camp. We started to move out of the base camp. We were side by side going through the jungle,” searching for the Viet Cong. “Olive’s gun jammed. He went to get his machine gun fixed.” It was the last time Grimes saw Olive alive. The soldiers whose lives Olive saved, Vince Yrineo, Lionel Hubbard, John “Hop” Foster and 1st Lt. Jimmy Stanford – four men Olive hardly knew – told the Chicago Tribune in May 2002 what happened next. The five were part of a group moving through the jungle searching for the Viet Cong. They came upon a clearing and were ambushed. They were lying together face down in the dirt when a grenade landed about a foot from Stanford’s face. "Then out comes this Black hand and grabs it,” Stanford said. He told the Tribune the last thing Olive said was, "Look out, Lieutenant, grenade!" Hop Foster said the last thing he said was "Look out, Hop, grenade!"
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Olive thrust the grenade to his abdomen and fell on it. The blast hurled him into the air and over on his back. "I heard a muffled sound," Foster told the Tribune. "Then for some reason it seemed like everything went real quiet. It was like they stopped the war after that." But the battle raged on, and Grimes and Toporek were in the thick of it. After the Viet Cong retreated, everyone consolidated and moved close to a clearing where Olive had been taken. Grimes was unaware his friend was dead until he saw his body on the ground. “I remember how he looked and the smell,” he said. “He was pale. His insides were blown out.” Meanwhile, Toporek crawled back to the rest of the platoon. “When we got up I saw Olive lying on his stomach,” Toporek said. “Someone said, ‘Don’t look at him. Carry him on a poncho, and get him out of here.’ Looking back, he had the most peaceful look I’ve ever seen.” He added: “I was shocked. I was angry and afraid. It was the beginning of survivor’s guilt. We put his guts back in his body.” Toporek, Grimes and two others each grabbed a corner of the poncho and carried Olive about 50 feet to a helicopter to be evacuated. Back in Mississippi, Olive’s grandmother who helped raise him learned of his death, sat down at the end of her dining room table and wept while repeating: “My baby, my baby, my baby,” Olive’s second cousin, Bonita Porter Spurlock, recently recalled. The Army sent Olive’s camera, transistor radio and Bible to his parents. They found inside the Bible the business card, “Milton Olive III Chicago's Only 12 year old Professional Photographer.”
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Medal of Honor Ceremony and Park Dedication Standing on the White House steps six months later on April 21, 1966, President Lyndon Johnson posthumously awarded Olive the Medal of Honor, handing it to his father while his stepmother, grandparents from Mississippi, more than 20 other relatives, 1st Lt. Jimmy Stanford and John “Hop” Foster looked on. Grimes, Yates and Toporek were still in Vietnam. Johnson said in his speech: “[The Medal of Honor] is bestowed for courage demonstrated not in blindly overlooking danger, but in meeting it with eyes clearly open... When the enemy's grenade landed on that jungle trail, it was not merely duty which drove this young man to throw himself upon it, sacrificing his own life that his comrades might continue to live. He was compelled by something that is more than duty, by something greater than a blind reaction to forces that are beyond his control. He was compelled, instead, by an instinct of loyalty which the brave always carry into conflict. In that incredibly brief moment of decision in which he decided to die, he put others first and himself last.” Two months later, the City of Chicago dedicated its new park to Olive. Mayor Richard J. Daley stood with Olive’s parents as the monument to their son was unveiled. On it is a bronze plaque with a bust of Skipper, forever 18, in his paratrooper uniform looking out across the park, lake and skyline. The Medal of Honor citation is inscribed below it.
The Aftermath Skipper’s father attended many memorial services and dedications for his son before he died in 1993. “It is not an easy thing to be the father of a hero,” he told the Chicago City Council in 1966. He told the Chicago Tribune in 1973
when a peace agreement was reached he was glad that the prisoners of war were coming home. “That means an awful lot. But those of us with the heaviest burden, the ones who lost their sons, that burden won’t be lifted.” Ken Grimes returned home in 1968, married and raised a daughter. He is a retired United States Department of Agriculture meat inspector and lives with his wife Chae Hwa on their Alabama farm. He said Olive will always be a part of him. “I still think of him often,” he said. And he laments what could have been. “I’m sorry he didn’t make it home alive and raise a family.” William Yates still sends flowers for Olive’s grave in Mississippi on the anniversary of his death. “I still hold him as a very good friend,” he said. “I don’t talk about him in the past tense. I still hold him in the present with me.” He is a retired postal worker and lives with his wife Barbara in his native Mobile, Alabama. He has a daughter and two grandchildren. Robert Toporek, the man who had fought with Olive over race, returned to Charleston, South Carolina, and joined civil rights protests. He also ran on a racial justice platform for city council and twice for state office. “I never won, but I never came in last,” he said. He wrote at the time “…though my skin is white, my soul is Black and militant as any of you have ever met.” Years later he was reflecting on Olive’s Medal of Honor citation that read how he had gone beyond the call of duty and thought: “What am I doing beyond the call of duty?” It inspired him to start TeamChildren, an organization that distributes refurbished computers to low-income people, mostly single mothers. It has distributed 20,000 computers in 23 years. He also a certified in Rolfing, a healing massage technique, and lives in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. The three men met in Chicago in 2015 for a public memorial service for the 50th anniversary of Olive’s death. They came to honor their friend whose life and sacrifice has profoundly affected their lives. Perhaps it is Toporek who best epitomizes Johnson’s words at the Medal of Honor ceremony: “In dying, Private Milton Olive taught those of us who remain how we ought to live.”
INSET: Olive (US Army photo). TOP ROW: Milton Olive, right, kneeling with William Yates, left (Robert Toporek photo). Milton Olive’s shadow as the photographer is visible at lower right in this photo that includes Paul Michler, Ken Grimes, Wayne Short, and Robert Shave (photo courtesy of Ken Grimes). In Chicago to mark the 50th anniversary of Olive’s death are (l-r) William Yates, Robert Toporek, Wayne Short, Ken Grimes and Mark Mitchell (courtesy photo Ken Grimes). CENTER ROW: Ken Grimes then; Ken Grimes and wife Chae Hwa on their farm on the Pea River, Samson, Alabama (photos courtesy of Ken Grimes). BOTTOM ROW: Robert Toporek at his Airborne School graduation; Robert Toporek now (photos courtesy of Robert Toporek).
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The Few Remaining
World War II Memorial Plaques by Stella Kapetan
When a service member from Chicago was killed during World War II, the city held a ceremony where a plaque inscribed with their name and a gold star placed on top of a pole or attached to a lamp post was dedicated at the corner of the street where he or she lived. While there were thousands of these plaques across the city at the end of the war in August 1945, almost all are gone today. They were removed over the years for street repairs and other public works projects; out-of-control drivers hit and struck down others. Families moved away and were unaware that the plaque was gone. We look at two plaques that have survived, the men they honor and the families they left behind. David Vernon Jacobson, known as Vernon, grew up the middle child with his brothers James Kenneth and Frank Jerome, who also went by their middle names, and their parents Marie and Frank in the two-flat they owned at 3853 W. Addison Ave. on the northwest side. Vernon was an avid photographer, and his interest in aviation and engineering made the Army Air Force a natural fit, his niece Maria Jacobson recently said. Vernon was killed at age 23 on Oct. 13, 1944 when the P-39 Airacobra airplane he was piloting during training at Naples Army Airfield in Florida crashed on approach to the runway. Maria is Kenneth’s daughter and said he and Vernon were close. “Vernon got my dad hooked on building model airplanes,” she said. “Dad looked up to him because he was in the Air Force. Dad joined the Army Air Force, too.” Although Maria was born 12 years after Vernon died, she has always felt his death’s impact on her family, especially on her grandmother, whom she calls “Nana.” Maria recalled at around age 6 attending services with her at St. Viator Catholic Church on Addison Avenue near the family home. “We would pick up my Nana to go to church,” she said. “I remember sitting in the pew with my Nana, and she would be crying, mainly when there was a hymn. I said ‘nana, don’t cry.’ I asked my father, ‘why is Nana crying?’ My dad whispered to me ‘Because of Uncle Vernon.’” Maria also watched as her grandmother would cry and slowly walk over to the plaque honoring the parishioners in the service and put her hand over Vernon’s name. Maria said that had Vernon lived, he probably would have had a career with the airlines and moved to Florida, where he had enjoyed family vacations. She said it is ironic that it is where he died. The city dedicated Vernon’s plaque on the corner of Springfield and Eddy on Oct. 14, 1945, one year and a day after he died. It is unknown why it is not on Addison Avenue, but one block south. Vernon’s brothers, who have passed away, regularly tended to it.
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“It meant a lot to my dad because it meant so much to my nana,” Maria said. “My dad and Uncle Jerry used to go down and make sure there was a wreath there. I remember my dad going down there with paint and trying to restore the lettering.” She is looking into having the plaque restored and visits it about six times a year. And like her father and uncle, she makes sure there is always a wreath around it. She said her daughter Geena will continue the tradition. “It would have been nice to have known the man,” Maria said. “He wasn’t married and didn’t have any children, so somebody has to watch it – keep the memorial and memory of him going.” Earl Louis Burck was born in Chicago on June 23, 1917. He was 24 when he was killed on Sept. 7, 1941, in a vehicle accident while participating in the Army’s Louisiana Maneuvers. His plaque is secured to a lamp post in the middle of the block near what was the family home at 3006 N. Lowell Ave. on the northwest side. It probably originally stood at the corner. Newspaper articles and public and other documents shed light on Earl’s life and death. He registered for the service on Oct. 16, 1940. When he enlisted in the Army on June 14, 1941, he was single with no dependents. He was white, stood 6 feet at 150 pounds with blue eyes and brown hair. He was employed at the Simplex Wire & Cable Co. as what his military registration card categorized as “stocks clerk.” His siblings were Walter and Laverne.
COLUMN 1: David Vernon Jacobson's plaque (Stella Kapetan photo). Brothers Jerry and Ken with Vernon's plaque, ca. 1990 (courtesy Maria Jacobson). Parents Marie and Frank Jacobson with Vernon in the middle (courtesy Maria Jacobson). Vernon in uniform, center, with his brothers, Jerry, left, and Ken. (courtesy Maria Jacobson). Vernon Smiling Alone (courtesy Maria Jacobson). Maria Jacobson with her father Ken. He died in 2001 (courtesy Maria Jacobson). COLUMN 2: Earl Burck's Plaque (Stella Kapetan photo). Burck home until 2014 at 3006 N. Lowell (Stella Kapetan photo).
When Earl was killed, the United States had not yet entered the war that began two years earlier in 1939 with Germany’s invasion of Poland and was raging around the world. To prepare for what appeared to be the country’s inevitable entry, the Army held the Louisiana Maneuvers near Camp Polk, where mock battles were fought in wide open fields to train commanders to lead and soldiers to fight. Although no live ammunition was used, battle simulations were dangerous and resulted in many casualties. Earl was killed on a highway when he lost control of the vehicle he was driving, it overturned several times and landed in a ditch. He is buried in Ridgewood Memorial Park in suburban Des Plaines. Why has Earl’s plaque survived for almost 80 years? The family lived in the brown brick bungalow at least as far back as 1927. And the name Laverne Burck was listed as the home’s owner when she died on Sept. 16, 2013. Perhaps she and the family made sure the memorial to their brother and son never disappeared. The Burck home was sold in 2014. It is unknown what dreams for the future Earl had that died along with him. But like David Vernon Jacobson, his family made sure his memory did not die too.
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Vendor a. Allen on Honoring our veterans My heart goes out to the African Americans who served in the armed forces of the States of America. I said the States of America because even before it became the United States of America, I think of Crispus Attucks, the first American Black killed in the American Revolutionary War, in the Boston Massacre of March 5, 1770. He is my first Black hero to serve in the military. I have quite a few. Bringing it home to StreetWise, there’s our very own [Magazine Sales Specialist] Ron Madere, who works what we call the “cage,” selling the vendors papers. He has the discipline of working in the cage for 17 years and as far as I know, no unexcused absences, and I’ve been with the organization for 10 years. That’s some discipline and I am sure he gained it from serving in the Army.
INSIDE STREETWISE
Let’s not forget [Vendor] Quincy Hunter, a vendor who has more than 10 years with StreetWise. He’s on the vendor advisory board, very dedicated, a friend and a faithful vendor. He is with StreetWise every day because he is that kind of guy. Let’s not forget [Vendor] Russell Adams, who, when I came to StreetWise, was my mentor. He’s a great salesperson – at one point, our top salesperson. His dedication and discipline I’m sure gave him a fast start because of the knowledge he obtained from serving in the Armed Forces of the United States.
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Many African Americans served and thought to be serving their country they would come back and be treated with more respect, only to find that Black Lives didn’t Matter. It must have been a hurtful thing. [Vendor] Robert Pope served in the Air Force during the Korean War. He was not only abused as a Black man, he never received all of his benefits. My heart really goes out to this veteran. He suffered and found the resilience to bounce back from the trauma he suffered as a Black man. His coming to StreetWise as a veteran says a lot about his ability to bounce back. That’s a real asset I am sure he learned from serving in the armed forces. There are a lot of negative things that happened after returning home but there are benefits I can see in working with these gentlemen at StreetWise. Most of these benefits – discipline, dedication, determination, forgiveness, guts, leadership, patience, resilience – cannot be bought with money. I thank you all for your demonstration of these priceless qualities. StreetWise has helped me in many ways, but this week, I am grateful for what it has shown through our very own StreetWise veterans.
Streetwise 5/23/16 Crossword
Sudoku
To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9. ©2018 PuzzleJunction.com
10 Elders’ 42 Cherish teachings 45 Med. school 11 Excavates course 12 ___ Tunas, 47 Held up, like Cuba traffic 15 Flyspeck 49 Mother ___ 20 According to 51 Compass pt. 24 Glazier’s unit 53 Fable writer wn 25 Four Quartets 54 Tree juice Feathered poet 55 Farm missile 27 Tip, as a hat equipment Actor Epps 28 Pool exercise 56 On the briny Nightclub 29 Bonehead 58 Feedbag fill Entirely 30 Deed 60 Roof Sign before 32 Louisiana overhang Virgo swamp 61 Work party Artist’s stand 33 Swap 62 Summer Preowned 36 Duet shade Seamstress 37 Sweetener 65 ___ out a need 39 Jacuzzis living Copyright Late arriving 41 ©2018 Beer PuzzleJunction.com 66 D.C. bigwig Zhivago’s love Verse Stir up Balanced Manner Poplar variety Condensation
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Solution
Sudoku Solution
PuzzleJu
Crossword
Across 1 Fancy marbles 5 Many miles away 9 Watering can part 14 Certain hockey shot 15 Curse 16 Clear, as a disk 17 Dominant 19 Cast a ballot 20 River to Donegal Bay 21 Meditative sect 22 Dates 26 Vocalizers 30 Departs 31 Possesses 32 Bottom line 33 Farm units 34 Sweeping ©2016 PuzzleJunction.com 35 Gallows reprieve 59 Church offering 10 Antler point 36 Washday 11 Feedbag morsel 60 Can’t stomach problem 12 Finish, with 61 Sheepskin 37 Tonic’s partner leather “up” 38 Ran, as colors 13 Rocker Nugent 62 Transparent 39 Young bears 18 Most basic 63 Mine entrance 40 Chills and 21 Brass 64 Margin fever component 41 Altercation 22 High note Down 43 Tumult 23 Shut off 1 Sugar amt. 44 Sonic follower 24 Reindeer 2 Fla. neighbor 45 Catapult 3 Card game for 25 Pizza places 46 United States 26 Boar two mathematician 27 Accord 4 Hot springs 48 Opaque gem 28 ___ available 5 Cancels 49 Indivisible 6 Roman deities 29 Sow’s pen 50 Unwakable 31 Codeine source 7 Diarist Frank state 34 Incite 8 Abbr. after a 51 Make into law name 35 Aspersions 54 Take exception 9 Good craps rolls 38 Savage
39 40 42 44 45 47 48 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58
Soup container Top-notch Born Give-and-take, orally Tiny village Coffee shop order Raccoon relative Neighbor of Sudan And so forth Zero Gobbled up Chinese tea Before, of yore The land of ___ Joke Compass pt.
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15
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