Sue Jelinek
Sue Jelinek welcomes story ideas from ship to shore. Contact her at jelinst@sbcglobal.net.
Golden moments, golden memories
For me a new year sometimes just seemed to be a continuation of the year before. The only thing that seemed different was that...
Another Silent Night
World War 1 began on June 28, 1914, when Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was assassinated. In the book Silent Night, the...
American Legion Post 43
After World War I ended on November 11, 1918, thousands of servicemen returned home wanting to do more to preserve and protect the values...
Dedicated fire professionals keep us safe
In October we celebrate Fire Prevention Week. The great Chicago Fire burned from Oct. 8 to Oct, 10, 1871. Three years later, in 1874,...
WWII pilot training ground
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...
Creating a Lifetime Alliance
I am a member of the 786 Club. The goal of this club is to create a lifetime alliance between citizens and the crew...
Three primary purposes of the Declaration of Independence
In 1775, colonists in North America felt that they were overtaxed and needed to fight for their rights as subjects of the British Crown....
National Defense University
When I was much younger, I remember hearing that a strong military prevented future wars. I think that philosophy may have led to the...
Vietnam Veterans Day to Memorial Day
In 2012, President Barack Obama proclaimed that March 29 would be designated as Vietnam Veterans Day. In 2017 the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act...
Flights to salute veterans
As I was driving through my neighborhood, I saw a small sign that read “Honor Flight of Chicago Salutes Our Veterans.” I immediately knew...
Our armed forces by the numbers
For the past year I have heard statistics regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the CDC as I write this column in mid-February, there...
Our National Guard
A number of states, including Illinois, sent National Guard troops to Washington DC to ensure a safe transfer of power on Inauguration Day. As...
USS ILLINOIS prepares for 2021 deployment
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the comment “I can’t wait for 2020 to be over and for 2021 to be...
USO lifts holiday spirits
In 1941, before the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted to create a new organization that would focus on lifting the...
Hurray for the Red, White and Blue!
Every year Veterans looked forward to participating in flag raisings and patriotic programs at our local schools in honor of Veterans Day. School District...
Celebrate the armed forces
I think everyone is looking for some reason to celebrate these days. I hope you’re able to celebrate the United States Navy birthday on...
Learn to Distinguish Rank and File
When I started dating Terry who later become my husband, he was in the Navy Reserves. He was amazed at how little I knew...
USS BONHOMME RICHARD
In 1779, John Paul Jones took over the command of the first USS BONHOMME RICHARD. The French name translates as “Good Man Richard” and...
Service never really ends
Over the past month I kept getting reminded that veterans continue to serve others, even after they complete the commitment to this country.
For instance,...
Protection for everyone
When I wrote the article for the April edition of Positively Naperville, I had hoped that by the time people were reading the article...
