Wheaton's Cantigny war museum to honor POWs

The First Division Museum at Cantigny has long been a destination for area residents to celebrate the military and their patriotism. From Fourth of July to Veterans Day, the facility established on the former estate of a World War I colonel hosts large gatherings that often have a tone of appreciation and celebration.

But on Friday, the site will host a more somber gathering but one just as important.

A 92-year-old Wheaton veteran who was captured and held by Japanese soldiers during World War II will be the keynote speaker at the park's National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony. The event starts at 11 a.m., Friday, at the Lion of Cantigny statue outside of the park's visitors center, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton. The museum's executive director, Paul Herbert, will also speak.

“With our relationship to veterans, it's something we think Col. (Robert) McCormick would have wanted,” said spokesman Steve Hawkins, referring to the World War I colonel whose foundation still runs Cantigny as a public park. “It fits in with our mission, so we feel this is a great way to honor those soldiers who were captured or who are no longer with us.”

Wheaton resident Howard Chittenden was a “North China Marine” captured while guarding the U.S. embassy in Beijing on Dec. 7, 1941, the same day the Japanese military bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

He was held captive for the entire 1,365 days of the Japanese portion of World War II. Chittenden is an Oak Park native and lives in Wheaton.

Hawkins said he was impressed by Chittenden.

“For this man to have survived alone is a testament of his will,” he said. “And that he can talk about it today is incredible.”

The day has been commemorated in the U.S. since 1979 and has been in September since 1986.

For Hawkins, the ceremony is a way of paying back the soldiers who may not have grabbed headlines while they fought for their country.

“It is easy to honor someone who has been noticed for bravery and received medals but what these guys had to endure is incredible,” he said. “This is a great way to recognize them and let them know that their contributions are just as appreciated.”