A group of Chicago-area veterans traveled to New Orleans Wednesday to see for themselves a museum built in their honor.

The Gary Sinise Foundation and American Airlines make these trips happen four times a year. The latest trip’s veterans received a big sendoff at O’Hare International Airport.

People at O’Hare are always on the move. But travelers stop when there is a parade with bagpipers in the terminal — as there was for the veterans.

“I think it’s amazing,” one woman said. “We should always celebrate our veterans.”

Eleven veterans from the Chicago area met at the same gate. Outside, there was a plane reserved for men who served in World War II.

One of the veterans was 99-year-old John Rickerd, who was 17 when he enlisted as a U.S. Marine.

“It brings back an awful lot of memories,” Rickerd said.

Rickerd eventually shared those memories with his son, Mark.

“Did a tour of duty in the Pacific, and ended up climbing Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima — hence my hero,” Mark Rickerd said of his father.

“And I often think of all the men we left behind,” added John Rickerd. “I mean the real, I think, number one heroes are those men who didn’t come back.”

Thanks to the Gary Sinise Foundation and American Airlines, vets who served together traveled for free.

“A very special trip where we will take World War II veterans, pair them up with high school students, and take them to the World War II Museum in New Orleans,” said Randy Stillinger, manager of military and veterans’ initiatives for American Airlines.

John Rickerd said he was looking forward to visiting the National WWII Museum, which he called “so beautiful.”

The three-day trip to New Orleans will also be an opportunity to make connections.

“The ability for him to develop camaraderie with his peers, his World War II veteran peers, it’s hard to describe,” said Mark Rickerd.

As the members of the Greatest Generation boarded the flight and left their gate behind, it spoke volumes that they traveled with gratitude.

“It’s so exciting to be here and be a part of this,” said John Rickerd.

Top Photo: Louis M. Prevost. Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), St. Louis, Missouri

Eighty years after V-E Day, the son of an American WWII veteran was chosen to lead the Roman Catholic Church. On May 8, 2025, the College of Cardinals selected Cardinal Robert Prevost to become the 267th pope—and the first American to fill the role. He chose the name Leo XIV.

Prevost is the son of Louis M. Prevost, a longtime public-school administrator in Chicago. According to documents held by the National Archives and Records Administration in St. Louis, Missouri, Prevost was born on July 28, 1920, and, like millions of young Americans of his generation, served in the US Armed Forces during World War II.

After graduating from Hyde Park High School in Chicago, Prevost attended Central YMCA College, where he studied political science. Near the end of his junior year in 1942, Prevost applied to join the US Navy’s V-7 accelerated training program, which would allow him to enter the Navy as an officer when he graduated the following year. He received three letters in support of his application: two from employers and one from his pastor at St. Thomas Apostle Church in Chicago, who called Prevost “a good Catholic and a young man of good character and steady habits.”

After graduating from Midshipman’s School in New York City, he received his commission as an Ensign in the US Naval Reserve on November 24, 1943. His first orders were to travel to a receiving station in New Orleans, where he was to report for duty aboard the USS LST-286.

According to a December 31, 1943, muster roll, Ensign Prevost left the port of New Orleans aboard LST-286, bound for the European theater of operations. The LST, or Landing Ship Tank, was used throughout World War II to deliver tanks and trucks to the beach during and after amphibious assaults. More than 300 feet long, two doors in the bow of the ship opened to deploy a ramp for vehicles to disembark onto a beach.

USS LST-286 with other LSTs invasion loading in the Bagnoli sector, Italy for the invasion of southern France, August 10, 1944. US Army Signal Corps photo # SC 192559-S

These vessels were critical for American and Allied success during the D-Day amphibious landings in Normandy—Operation Overlord. Prevost and LST-286 participated in two major amphibious operations in the spring and summer of 1944. The ship landed troops on Omaha Beach on the morning of June 6, 1944, and returned during subsequent activities. The commanding officer of LST-286 reported that during the landings on D-Day, Prevost handled his duties “very satisfactorily.”

The second major amphibious assault was Operation Dragoon on August 15, 1944, which landed American and Allied troops in Southern France. During his time aboard LST-286, Prevost received consistently positive evaluations from his commanding officer, who recommended him for promotion in October 1944.

A May 13, 1945, profile of local servicemembers in the Chicago Tribune stated that Prevost had become the executive officer of LST-286 and took part in both Operations Overlord and Dragoon. The same article announced that Prevost, who had been serving abroad for 15 months, was promoted to Lieutenant, Junior Grade, and placed in command of the USS LCI(L)-188, a Landing Craft Infantry (Large) vessel operating in the Mediterranean theater.

After leaving active duty, Prevost continued to serve his country as an officer in the Naval Reserve until 1956. He died on November 8, 1997.

Chicago-area high school students paired with WWII veterans on trip to New Orleans museum

Glenbard West High School students were paired with World War II veterans to learn on a trip from Chicago to the national WWII museum in New Orleans.

Glenbard West High School students were paired with World War II veterans to learn on a trip from Chicago to the national WWII museum in New Orleans.

Glenbard West High School students were paired with World War II veterans to learn on a trip from Chicago to the national WWII museum in New Orleans.

Glenbard West High School students were paired with World War II veterans to learn on a trip from Chicago to the national WWII museum in New Orleans.

CHICAGO (WLS) — Several of the nation’s war heroes are headed to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, and they have some young learners making the trip with them.

It is a way to honor the veterans’ service and sacrifice and a special history lesson for some Chicago-area high school students who are embarking on a journey with members of the Greatest Generation to learn that it was like serving the country during World War II.

There was some fanfare before their flight with a special send-off for the World War II veterans.

They headed to the National World War II Museum courtesy of the Gary Sinise Foundation.

Among the 11 veterans making the trip is 98-year old Charles Brooking.

“I’m really proud that I was able to help defend our country,” Brooking said.

Brooking was only 17 when he joined the Navy. He served on a PT boat in the South Pacific.

“We were in closer contact in wartime than any other Navy vessel in WWII,” Brooking said.

Brooking’s daughter Christina Grendzinski said he didn’t talk much about his experience until about 10 years ago when Vietnam vets encouraged him to share his story.

“He’s almost the last WWII veteran in our county in northeastern Pennsylvania, so it’s super important he gets to take part in these events,” Grendzinski said.

Now, Brooking and his fellow vets are helping to teach younger generations about World War II. They were paired with students from Glenbard West High School in Glen Ellyn, who are also making the trip and will learn from members of the Greatest Generation.

“They’re gonna get a great experience and learn about one people and a time period that they are far removed from, but I think the goal is to get them more connected,” chaperone Paul Hezlett said.

The veterans and students will stay in New Orleans the next couple of days and return to Chicago on Friday.

“Those students get to learn firsthand the stories of service and sacrifice and how to live in peace time as well,” said Kaitlin Frisch with the Gary Sinise foundation.

Matt Alderton

Studio Gannett

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Vanessa Marquette of Syracuse, N.Y., comes from a long line of service members. Both of her grandfathers fought in World War II, as did her great-uncle. Her mother and father served in the Air Force. Her nephew serves in the Navy. And her husband serves in the New York Army National Guard, having previously served eight years in the Army.

“Literally everyone in my family, pretty much, has served,” says Marquette, who has made it her personal mission to document the history of her relatives’ service. “People need to remember the generations that served before us, and I feel like it’s my duty to help them do that by learning about them and sharing what they went through.”

Although she does lots of online research, the internet isn’t the only place Marquette goes to learn about American heroes. She also likes visiting museums, monuments and memorials that commemorate veterans.

“It’s one thing to learn about this type of history in textbooks. But it’s totally different when you’re experiencing it in real time,” says Marquette, who shares her passion for military tourism on TikTok, where she posts under the handle @travelingdoglover, and at BestiesBeTrippin.com, a travel blog she produces with her best friends.

Military tourism is as much about supporting today’s veterans as it is about remembering yesterday’s, says military spouse and frequent traveler Chelsey Thomas, operator of CamouflagePerks.com, a blog and website offering resources for military families.

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“The sacrifices made by military members and their families are easy to forget when you aren’t living it. We see homecomings on the news, but you rarely see the departure or the challenges in between or upon returning home,” says Thomas, whose husband, Michael, has served in the U.S. Air Force for more than 10 years. “Many sacrifices that are made are very personal, but it is impactful to know that … they are honored and remembered by the country.”

Marquette and Thomas agree that every American can show gratitude to those who serve through the simple act of visiting places that pay tribute to them. Summer vacations are the perfect opportunity. If you’re planning a summer road trip or weekend getaway, consider adding to your itinerary one or more of the following patriotic places. Even a short pitstop could make a big difference to Americans in uniform:

NORTHEAST

The Northeast is rich with military history. One of the nation’s most famous military sites is Gettysburg National Military Park in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Visitors can watch battle reenactments, view artillery and cavalry demonstrations, and tour the battlefield where as many as 51,000 soldiers were killed, wounded, captured or missing during the Civil War’s bloodiest battle.

While you’re in Pennsylvania, check out the Steelworkers Veterans Memorial at the National Museum of Industrial History in Bethlehem and the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. Located on the former grounds of Bethlehem Steel, the former honors steelworkers-turned-soldiers as well as those who stayed behind to forge precious wartime steel for tanks, aircraft and battleships during World Wars I and II. The latter tells the powerful story of the Revolutionary War and the brave colonists who fought it.

New York also has scores of military sites. The U.S. Military Academy at West Point, for instance, is America’s oldest military school and oldest continuously occupied military post, and its museum, West Point Museum, boasts the largest diversified collection of military artifacts in the United States, including items such as George Washington’s pistols and a World War I tank. There’s also the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor in New Windsor, whose mission is sharing the stories of Purple Heart recipients; the Niagara Falls Veterans Memorial in Niagara Falls, which is the largest granite monument dedicated to veterans outside the Washington Beltway; and Fort Ticonderoga in Ticonderoga, where American forces had their first offensive victory against the British in the Revolutionary War.

Elsewhere in the region, check out Memorial Park in Providence, Rhode Island, a sculpture-filled park honoring Americans who died during the Korean War and World Wars I and II, and the Wright Museum of World War II in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, which has more than 14,000 items in its collection. The National Coast Guard Museum in New London, Connecticut, will celebrate members of the U.S. Coast Guard when it opens in 2026.

SOUTHEAST

Because it encompasses the nation’s capital and many of its largest military communities, the Southeast has a huge number of military tourism sites.

Bucket-list spots include the National Mall in Washington, DC – home to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the World War I Memorial and the World War II Memorial – and Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, where you can pay respects to thousands of fallen service members, including those memorialized at the powerful Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Also in Arlington is the Military Women’s Memorial, honoring the contributions of 3 million women who have served in or with the U.S. military since the American Revolution. Other spots of note in Washington include the National Guard Memorial Museum and the National Museum of the U.S. Navy. Nearby, you’ll find the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Virginia, and the National Museum of the United States Army in Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

The capital region is just the tip of the iceberg, though. In Bedford, Virginia, there is the National D-Day Memorial honoring American D-Day veterans. And in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the world’s largest flying collections of World War I- and II-era military aircraft are found at the Military Aviation Museum.

Worth seeing further south are Alabama’s Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, honoring the Black airmen who served in World War II; the poignant history memorializing American prisoners of war at Andersonville National Historic Site in Andersonville, Georgia; and the spectacular National WWII Museum in New Orleans, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, as well as the 80th anniversary of V-E Day, or Victory in Europe Day, the day that marked the end of the war in Europe.

MIDWEST

The famously warm Midwest welcome extends to veterans and Americans who want to salute them at sites like the National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio, which claims to be the only museum in the world that celebrates and shares the stories of veterans from all times of U.S. history and from all branches of the military. Don’t miss the incredible city views from its rooftop; the gorgeous rainbow windows in its Gold Star Remembrance Gallery, which represent the colors of military service ribbons honoring those who died in service; or the newly opened 2.5-acre Memorial Grove, featuring a grove of elm trees with a 325‑foot‑long stone wall, three water cascades and a reflection pool.

Veterans also receive a grand reception in Indianapolis thanks to the 284-foot Soldiers & Sailors Monument that honors Indiana service members. There’s an observation deck with panoramic city views, as well as a nightly signature salute for veterans that bathes the monument in red, white and blue. Also check out the seven-block Indiana War Memorial Plaza Historic District that includes the Indiana War Memorial & Museum and Veterans Memorial Plaza, known for its 100-foot obelisk and fountain honoring all branches of military service.

Chicago also has its share of military tourism sites. Among them are Soldier Field, the city’s historic football stadium that’s dedicated to fallen American service members; the National Veterans Art Museum, which exclusively displays art made by veterans; and the Chicago Remembers Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the Chicago River, which features the names of nearly 3,000 Illinois service members killed in the Vietnam War.

Other must-visit Midwest sites include the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri; the War Memorial Center and adjoining War Memorial Beer Garden in Milwaukee; and South Dakota’s Mount Rushmore, which in the summer hosts a nightly lighting and flag ceremony honoring veterans.

WEST

The West has long been a symbol of American freedom, which makes it an ideal place to salute service members and veterans.

Although Hawaii isn’t exactly road trip-friendly, Pearl Harbor National Memorial on Oahu is an obvious destination. At the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, the USS Arizona Memorial and the moving Remembrance Circle exhibit, you’ll learn about the famous Japanese attack on the United States and honor the more than 2,300 service members and civilians who died during on Dec. 7, 1941.

Back in the lower 48, the San Diego Air & Space Museum is a bucket-list stop for aviation buffs, as is The Museum of Flight in Seattle.

Other worthwhile stops are the National United States Armed Forces Museum in Houston; the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, which honors the military contributions of Black soldiers and also in Houston; the National Museum of Military Vehicles in Dubois, Wyoming, which is home to the world’s largest private collection of U.S. military ground transportation vehicles on display to the public; and the Nevada State Veterans Memorial in Las Vegas, which features 18 larger-than-life statues depicting soldiers from different wars.

For a taste of the unusual, check out the Burger King in Kayenta, Arizona, which is home to a mini museum honoring the Navajo Code Talkers, who helped transmit secret messages to Allied forces during World War II.

Finally, stop by the newly opened National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas, which features personal stories, rare artifacts and interactive exhibits honoring the 3,519 American heroes who have received the prestigious Medal of Honor.

By Madison Lile

This past summer I finally got the opportunity to check an item off my bucket list – visiting the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. I was able to see and experience many exhibits, and one that particularly stuck with me was the section on the 80th anniversary of the Port Chicago Disaster. I recognized the name of the event, but as I read more it was clear that I didn’t know the whole history behind it and the event’s impact on desegregation in the military.

At Port Chicago, the African-American sailors who were trained for wartime roles were instructed to load munitions aboard ships under the supervision of white officers. Neither the sailors nor their superior officers were trained adequately for the dangerous work of loading munitions. In his article “Navy Exonerates 256 Black Sailors Punished after 1944 Port Chicago Explosion,” Keven Dupuy states, “Many of the sailors reported that they weren’t given gloves for handling 600-pound bombs and the other munitions – including highly volatile incendiaries with fitted detonators.”

On July 17, 1944, disaster struck the country with its largest man-made detonation. The mishandling of munitions caused an eruption that had the force of 5,000 tons of TNT. Over 320 sailors and civilians were killed in this event; over two-thirds were African American. In the aftermath, the remaining sailors were to resume their work even though the dangerous conditions were not yet resolved. Fifty of the involved sailors decided to not return to work and in doing so, on the 24th of October they were charged and found guilty of conspiracy to commit mutiny. This act became known as the Port Chicago Mutiny, resulting in over 200 convictions, including the original “Port Chicago 50.” They received sentences ranging from 8 to 15 years of confinement and dishonorable discharges. After two years, the men were released; they had to serve a year as rehabilitation, and then they were discharged; however, the mutiny convictions remained on their records.

This event acted as a catalyst for the military’s first steps in desegregation. Two years after the event, President Truman signed an executive order for the desegregation of the military. It was believed to be deeply rooted in the controversies of the convictions of those 50 sailors. Taking up the cause during the 1990s, George Miller, congressman for the Port Chicago’s district, wanted the names of the men cleared. When this didn’t go through the first time, Miller tried again in 2006 and was successful. This time he got the Port to become a national park which was authorized by Obama.

In my opinion, this act of “mutiny” was not an act of insubordination, but a response to the failure of leadership, injustice and extremely dangerous conditions. The reason that this exhibit stood out to me was because I learned that the convictions weren’t finally resolved or recognized until July 18, 2024, when the secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro, announced the full exoneration of all 256 defendants who were court-martialed after the explosion. This decision was on the 80th anniversary of the disaster, finally acknowledging the injustice these sailors faced. As quoted in Dupuy’s aforementioned article, Secretary Del Toro said that, “They stand as a beacon of hope, forever reminding us that even in the face of overwhelming odds, the fight for what’s right can and will prevail.”

Madison Lile is a Spring Grove High School student, one of 15 area students participating in the Journal Writing Project, now in its 26th year.