Navy Pier is a popular attraction on Chicago’s lakefront. Yet, it wasn’t always just a fun place to visit.
Created in 1916 for both recreational and shipping purposes, it was known as “Municipal Pier.” When I grew up in Chicago, I was taught that Chicago was the hub for commerce in the United States. At that time many imported items came by sea. Ships traveled through the St. Lawrence Seaway to Chicago where goods could be transferred to trains to be delivered around the country.
During World War II, Chicago’s Navy Pier became the training grounds for Navy pilots. The Navy purchased two cruise ships and converted them into aircraft carriers in order to provide training for Navy pilots. The ships were safe from being attacked by enemy submarines and could focus on training pilots on how to land on ships at sea.
We learn by our mistakes and I have heard that there are many aircraft at the bottom of Lake Michigan. More than 18,000 pilots were able to qualify for carrier operations aboard the two converted cruise ships, the USS Wolverine and USS Sable.
Today an organization has been founded to commemorate Chicago’s role in the United States Navy history by creating a Chicago Navy Memorial at Navy Pier. This memorial will help us remember the contributions Chicagoans made in helping the United States win World War II. You can find out more about this memorial and the history of Navy Pier at www.chicagonavymemorial.org.
While this memorial tells the story about Navy pilots, we also needed pilots in the Army Air Force. During World War II, there was segregation in the Armed Forces. Black aviators who wished to serve in the war effort were educated at the Tuskegee Institute and become a member of the Army Air Force. The aviators and all those trained to help them achieve their mission became known as the Tuskegee Airmen. Almost 1,000 pilots, some from the Chicago area, were trained through this program. They served in air combat missions over North Africa and Italy and in bomber escort missions over Nazi Germany. You can find out more about the Tuskegee Airmen at www.tuskegeeairmen.org.
The US Navy continues to protect the seas with personnel trained on surface ships, submarines and in air operations. On Sept. 18, 1947, the United States Department of War founded the Air Force as a distinct and separate branch from the US Army.
Happy Birthday to all those who have served in the Air Force and thank you for continuing to protect us and our values.
