A D-Day survivor, a witness to history

Max Zalusky rarely talked about his World War II experiences, and in particular, of his role during the D-Day landing on Omaha Beach in Normandy.

However, family members say his very survival affected him for the rest of his life.

Mr. Zalusky not only survived, but he went on to live a long life. He died Friday at the age of 90.

“He led a remarkable life,” says his only son, Steve, a reporter for the Daily Herald. “He saw so much.”Mr. Zalusky, of Wilmette, was born in Berlin as the child of Russian immigrants. Within weeks of his birth, the family moved to Chicago, where he grew up during the Great Depression and attended Roosevelt High School.During Mr. Zalusky#146;s senior year, he landed a job selling bottles of soft drinks at Wrigley Field. As a result, he had a bird#146;s-eye view of the Cubs#146; 1938 season #8212; which featured such stars as Dizzy Dean and Gabby Hartnett #8212; in which they won the National League pennant.#147;In those days, it wasn#146;t just selling concessions,#148; Steve Zalusky says. #147;He associated with the players and got to know some of them.#148;His dream job came to an abrupt end when Mr. Zalusky was drafted into the Army shortly after high school, He was assigned to an engineering brigade, which helped supply the troops.Their battalion traveled on board the S.S. Monarch of Bermuda as part of a large convoy crossing the Atlantic in advance of the D-Day invasion, complete with aircraft carriers and destroyers.Mr. Zalusky#146;s battalion spent months in London preparing for the mission, which was to set up markers on the beach so that infantry members would know where to go.#147;They never got to set up those markers,#148; says his brother, Lawrence Zalusky of Northfield, who followed his brother onto Omaha Beach one month later. #147;The Germans had zeroed in on them, and everyone around him was killed.#147;He said it was like a miracle that he survived,#148; Lawrence Zalusky added. #147;He always wondered why he was spared.#148;Historians estimate that more than 10,000 Allied troops died during the invasion, including 6,600 Americans.Several decades after the war, he reflected on the experience with his son, saying that he believed he would die on Omaha Beach, and that from that moment forward, his outlook on life changed.#147;#145;That#146;s why nothing bothers me anymore,#146;#148; Mr. Zalusky told Steve. #147;#145;When you#146;re fighting for your life, nothing bothers you after that.#146;#148;Following the war, Mr. Zalusky was a lithographer with I.S. Berlin Press in Chicago. He later operated his own business, Newport Sales, which sold towels and uniforms, for more than 30 years. He is survived by his wife, Alice, his son Steve (Nina Slodki) and grandson, Harry. A memorial service followed by burial will take place at 11 a.m. Monday at New Light Cemetery, 6807 N. East Prairie Road in Lincolnwood.;http://www.legacy.com/guestbook/dailyherald/guestbook.aspx?n=max-zaluskypid=152683246amp