Buffalo Grove veterans honored in book

More than a year ago, Tom Sanders visited 20 Belmont Village Senior Living centers around the country, photographing hundreds World War II veterans, including 28 in Buffalo Grove, for permanent photo galleries at each home called “American Heroes: Portraits of Service.”

Sanders had begun photographing World War II veterans while he was a college student.

Many posed with cherished mementos from their service: framed photographs and weathered white sailor caps, polished bronze medals and well-worn gas masks.

As he became increasingly captivated by their memories of the war, Veronica Kavass, a writer and interviewer with StoryCorps, joined the project and spent countless hours with these men and women, recording their vivid accounts.

The project grew into a coffee-table book, “The Last Good War: The Faces and Voices of World War II,” a chronicle of courage and hardship, sacrifice and determination.

Sanders and Kavass sought to reflect the great diversity of the 16 million men and women who served.

They include Japanese-American, Native American, Hispanic and African-American veterans, as well as female soldiers.

A few weeks ago, Sanders made a return visit to Buffalo Grove with Kavass. Five of the people in the book lived at the Buffalo Grove location, and for them it was an emotional experience, said publicist Betsy Shepherd, who worked with Belmont Village on the project.

Louis Lezon, a navy aviation machinist first class in the war, was one of five brothers who served, all of whom came back alive, she said.

“These men cam back from the war and went on with their lives,” she said, adding that the project brought back a lot of memories for the veterans.

The Buffalo Grove photos were taken in July 2009. The gallery is in a second floor hallway.

Tours are available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily at 500 McHenry Road.

The book is available at welcomebooks.com and amazon.com, among other places.