When Wayne and Iris Fischer moved to Naperville, they became members of Bethany Lutheran Church. There they met a wonderful man, Dick Knosher. Dick was a past commander of American Legion Post 43 in Naperville.
As soon as he learned Wayne had served as a Marine helicopter pilot in Vietnam, Dick invited Wayne to become a member of Post 43. Wayne not only became a member, but he also served as the Post Commander, the County Commander, the District Commander and finally the State Commander for the State of Illinois. But while Wayne’s dedication to the American Legion and the positions of trust that he held are impressive, it’s all the things that he did “behind the scenes” that show his dedication to Veterans.
One of Wayne’s first projects involved the placing of the flags on the Veterans’ graves for Memorial Day. The American Legion and VFW posts had been doing this for years and there were now about 2,000 flags being placed for Memorial Day. The problem was that Naperville had grown and many of the Veterans who were not members of either post were not being recognized.
Wayne, with the help of his wife, Iris, established a system to better identify all the Veterans in the local cemeteries. (Today that job is being handled by Jim Hoch and more than 3,000 flags were placed at the local cemeteries for Memorial Day 2025.) Wayne also helped make sure the flags were removed after Memorial Day and stored properly for the next year.
In 2004, the National WW II Memorial was opened in Washington D.C. When many Naperville Veterans were unable travel to D.C. for the ceremony, Wayne spearheaded the effort to have a special program at Kennedy Junior High. World War II Veterans who attended the program were recognized for their contributions to preserving our freedom. (Iris and daughter Victoria helped Wayne make the day memorable.)
In 2010, The South Korean Government wanted to thank all Veterans who had served in the Korean conflict. A special program was held at Naperville North High School and the Veterans were thanked for their service. The program could not have happened without the efforts of Wayne, Iris and Victoria.
Since 2012, Wayne has been on the team that coordinates the DuPage Veterans Foundation annual fundraiser to support Honor Flights – Chicago. The Honor Flights provide Veterans from the Chicago area with a visit to the war memorials in Washington, D.C.
In 2017, the United States signed into law that March 29 would be National Vietnam War Veterans Day. Ever since, Wayne has been involved with the program held on that day at Veterans Park. In addition to remembering the 11 young men from Naperville who died in combat, there is a twelfth plaque that honors Napervillians who died because of their service in Vietnam.
In 2023, Wayne and Ray Kinney were part of the organizing committee to create Naperville’s Vietnam Wall of Remembrance.
For many years, Wayne has helped organize the annual Marine Corps Ball to celebrate the Marine Corps birthday. This year, the Marines will be celebrating their 250th birthday on November 11. The Marine Corps is older than our nation.
I know I’m missing other ways Wayne has helped brighten the lives of many Veterans.
In June we celebrate Father’s Day and remember all the sacrifices dads have made to make the world a better place. While my column focused on Wayne Fischer’s service to our Veterans, I’m remembering all the other Naperville dads who have contributed their time and talents to improve scouting, sports and cultural opportunities in Naperville. Service clubs also contribute to make Naperville a special place.
I miss that Naperville Spirit now that I live in Texas.
