West Chicago honors WWII vet Chuck Scheckel
West Chicago, Illinois: December 14, 2011 – Recently, the City of West Chicago honored resident and WWII Navy veteran Chuck Scheckel at a City Council meeting for his service on a Destroyer in the Pacific during World War II under Adm. William Halsey. Mr. Scheckel is currently the chaplain for both the American Legion Post 300 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6791.
Mayor Mike Kwasman presented Mr. Scheckel with an original framed newspaper clipping which proclaimed Peace in the Pacific. Following a brief description of his experiences while serving, the filled room gave Mr. Scheckel a standing ovation. Chuck Scheckel is a living example of the greatest generation – those brave men and women who grew up in the United States during the deprivation of the Great Depression and then went on to fight for our country in World War II. These treasured veterans answered our nation's call during a time of great need, and gifted us with the legacy of the freedom that we enjoy today. Approximately 4,000 of them, now averaging 87 years old, reside in DuPage County.
For this reason, Mayor Kwasman and other DuPage County leaders have formed a new organization, the DuPage Veterans Foundation, for the purpose of honoring and supporting the men and women of our country who have served so courageously in the United States military. This 501c3 non-profit organization seeks to recognize special needs of DuPage veterans and provide fundraising efforts to acknowledge appreciation for all they have sacrificed for our freedom and safety.
The first initiative of the new Foundation will be to raise funds to fly WWII veterans, free of charge through Honor Flight Chicago, for a day of viewing and reflection of the War Memorial built in their honor in Washington, D.C. Mr. Scheckel is a proud member of the committee working hard to accomplish this, as he himself took an Honor Flight trip in June 2009. According to his daughter Christine Dettman, "The experience was filled with overwhelming ranges of emotion, from remembering friends lost in the war, the lifelong friendships made, the experiences of battle, tremendous pride for having defended his country, and humbling gratitude for the outpouring of fanfare they all received". He also was accompanied on the trip by his son, Michael, who volunteered as a “guardian" on his flight. Mr. Scheckel, daughter Christine, and son Chuck Jr. serve on the committee so that other WWII veterans will have the same chance he had.
As a way of accomplishing this goal of getting more DuPage WWII veterans to Washington , the DuPage Veterans Foundation has created an event to support that mission, a fundraiser scheduled for Saturday, May 5, 2012 at the DuPage Airport in West Chicago. Gates will open at 11:00 a.m. for a display of incredible vintage war planes and other WWII era vehicles. Lunch with attending veterans will be served at noon, followed by a rousing patriotic program that includes bagpipers, presentation of colors and mail call, plus a headline performance by the Legacy Girls. To learn more about the DuPage Veterans Foundation, and the special event at the DuPage Airport, visit www.dupageveteransfoundation.org.