Rosemont WWII veteran to be honored at Blackhawks game
A 95-year-old World War II veteran from Rosemont will be honored in front of a stadium of 20,000 and thousands more watching on TV during the national anthem at an upcoming Blackhawks game.
Dominick Russo, who has lived in Rosemont for more than 50 years, will be on a red carpet next to anthem singer Jim Cornelison at ice level before the Hawks' Oct. 17 home game.
The team regularly invites local veterans to stand next to Cornelison as he belts out "The Star-Spangled Banner" to a cheering crowd of red sweater-clad fans. Russo's son-in-law put his name on a list for the opportunity to be on ice during the anthem.
Russo was watching the anthem and banner raising ceremony Wednesday night before the Hawks' first regular season game, and is excited for his chance to be there in about a week.
"I'm 95, but I think I'm going to come out on skates," he joked.
Russo went into the U.S. Army in November 1941, a month before Pearl Harbor, and spent four years in the service as a medic in the European and Pacific theaters.
His daughter, Rosemary Griffo, says about 20 family members will be at the game to watch her dad.
"This is a very nice honor for him," she said. "It's going to be moving."