A few hours he'll remember always

Early last year the Herald covered the story of my buying the suite of used furniture from Mayor Arlene Mulder's office prior to the village moving into their new offices - and donating it to Martin de Porres High School President Fr. Charles Bolser CSV.

What wasn't reported was that upon reading the story in the Herald that day, a former mayor of Arlington Heights called me wanting to buy the furniture so that he could "refurbish it and give it back to the village to show them that there was value in saving the old stuff, and not having to spend money on buying everything new."

He offered to pay way more than I did for the furniture and donate the money to Father Bolser's new school.

That was my introduction to the late Ralph H. Clarbour.

In conducting the sale of the furniture to Mr. Clarbour, I was fortunate to spend several hours with this great American.

He showed me pictures that he had taken out of the bomber's window of the brave Marines placing the flag on top of Iwo Jima "hours before" the famous picture was "posed." He loaned me books to read on WWII and spent time talking about our wonderful town's history.

A great man lived in Arlington Heights.

Jack Halpin

Arlington Heights