Grandson of suburban Chicago World War II veteran reunited with Purple Heart
Memorial Day is just a few days away — honoring military members who made the ultimate sacrifice.
One Chicago native will now be better able to honor the memory of his late grandfather, thanks to an effort to reunite lost Purple Hearts with their rightful owners.
Army Cpl. Henry Van Der Noord earned his Purple Heart while fighting to liberate the Philippines during World War II.
"He took a mortar shell from behind during a volley of artillery in the Philippines, and the shell exploded behind him," said Van Der Noord's grandson, Christopher Reed.
After the war, Van Deer Noord lived in south suburban Lansing, where he served as a police officer.
Lansing, Illinois police Officer Henry Van Der Noord earned a Purple Heart while fighting to liberate the Philippines during World War II.
Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs
Van Deer Noord later gifted the sacred medal to his young grandson, Reed, who used to live in Batavia.
"You don't know what you got until it's gone, and for a while I thought it was gone," said Reed.
After several cross-country moves over the years, Reed was almost certain that he lost the Purple Heart, until earlier this month. Illinois State Treasurer Mike Frerichs reunited the award with Reed, tracking him down near Atlanta — where he now lives.
"I realized that it was left unattended in a safety deposit box," Reed said. "The stupidity of losing possession of something like that."
War medals that go unclaimed in safety deposit boxes end up in the Illinois State Treasurer's vault. So far, Frerichs has returned 13 Purple Hearts since launching Operation Purple Heart in 2021.
The office currently has at least 10 unclaimed Purple Hearts.
"Those aren't things you can just pick up the phone and get replaced," Reed said.
Signs honor Chicago as Purple Heart City
Meanwhile, as Memorial Day approaches, Chicago is officially a Purple Heart City. Two signs were unveiled to honor Purple Heart veterans.
Two signs were unveiled downtown to honor Purple Heart veterans on Wednesday. Retired Lt. Col. Eldridge Johnson Jr. helped bring the markers to the city.
"It's an honor to witness the city of Chicago's commitment to combat veterans who have fallen or who were injured," said Johnson.
The state treasurer's office said military awards like the Purple Heart are among the hardest to return, because neither the U.S. Armed Forces nor the federal government keep detailed lists of award recpients.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Purple Heart reunited with WWII veteran's family in Geneva
The Brief Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs' Operation Purple Heart reunited a lost Purple Heart with the family of WWII veteran Edward Gorski Jr. during a ceremony in Geneva. Gorski, wounded in the Battle of the Bulge while protecting a fellow soldier, died in 1993; his medal was found in a bank deposit box and turned over as unclaimed property. Gorski's grandson, Shawn, an Army veteran himself, accepted the medal and said the honor deepened the meaning of his own service. GENEVA, Ill. - A Purple Heart that lost its way has now been reunited with the family of a World War II veteran. What we know "These medals don't deserve to be in a cold vault in Springfield," said Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs. "They should be in the warm, loving embrace of family."Frerichs launched Operation Purple Heart in 2021 to return lost or unclaimed combat medals to the families of those who earned Thursday, during a ceremony at the American Legion post in west suburban Geneva, Army veteran Shawn Gorski accepted the Purple Heart awarded to his late grandfather, Edward Gorski Jr. The elder Gorski served in the Army's 65th Infantry Division, which fought in Europe during 1944 and 1945, including in the Battle of the Bulge. Gorski's son, Scott, recalled that his father was wounded while trying to shield a fellow soldier from a mortar blast. "There was a mortar that got shot in a fox hole and he do over a guy that was in bad shape already," Gorski said. "He dove on top of him and it blew and did a lot of damage around his eye. And he carried that scar through life as I remember on his face."Edward Gorski died in 1993. His Purple Heart, which had been stored in a bank's safe deposit box, was eventually turned over to the treasurer's office as unclaimed property. "This program came about because when I came into office, I discovered that we held certain Purple Hearts. I saw one in a display case. and asked who does that belong to? The staff couldn't tell me."Thursday's event marked the 14th time the state has returned a Purple Heart to a veteran's family. Shawn Gorski, who was just a child when his grandfather died, said he was honored to receive the medal. A veteran himself, he plans to proudly display it in his home. "When the Treasurer's office reached out to me and said your grandfather has this, I was shocked. This just makes it all more real. And more meaningful. I think it makes my service feel more important too. So now I'm going to put it in a case and hang it up in my basement and show it off," Gorski said. What's next Frerichs said the state still has eight more Purple Hearts awaiting reunification and is asking the public to visit to see if they can help connect the medals with their rightful families.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
$1 entry for neighborhood pools, this weekend only
( — This Saturday and Sunday, the City's Department of Youth, Parks and Community Enrichment is inviting the community to take advantage of the $1 neighborhood pool entry, the City of Sacramento said. On June 14 and June 15, admission is only $1 per person at all neighborhood pools. Video Above: The splash pads now takes the place of the old wading pool which closed back in 2018 'We're excited that, with the opening of the newly converted Mama Marks Splash Pad and the reopening of Southside Pool, this will be the first summer since 2018 that all City aquatics facilities will be open,' said Sjon Swanson, YPCE recreation manager. 'We remain committed to ensuring that every community has access to safe and fun aquatic facilities this summer.' Throughout the summer, neighborhood pools will cost $3 for youth and $5 for adults for recreation swim through the summer. Officials said the open hours and days may vary. The neighborhood pools include: Cabrillo Pool at 1648 65th Avenue Clunie Pool at 601 Alhambra Boulevard Doyle Pool at 2827 Mendel Way Glenn Hall Pool at 5201 Carlson Drive George Sim Pool at 6207 Logan Way Johnston Pool at 231 Eleanor Avenue Mangan Pool at 2230 34th Avenue McClatchy Pool at 3500 5th Avenue Oki Pool at 2715 Wissemann Drive Pannell Meadowview Pool at 2450 Meadowview Road Southside Pool at 2107 6th Street Tahoe Pool at 3501 59th Street Officials said YPCE will continue offering many aquatics programs at 12 lifeguarded neighborhood pools at the start of the summer season. The programs include swim lessons, swim team, aquacise, recreational swimming and lap swimming. Four free play/wading pools will be open for children under 7-years-old. Wading pools include: Bertha Henschel Play Pool at 160 45th Street Colonial Play Pool at 5315 19th Avenue Robertson Play Pool at 3525 Norwood Avenue William Land Play Pool at 1300 13th Avenue Meanwhile, the North Natomas Aquatics Complex charges $7 for youth and $9 for adults. Officials said it will be open seven days per week through August. $200,000 grant presented to San Joaquin County schools for learning program Free aquatics programs for youth and families with financial needs are available through the Youth Program Scholarship Fund, officials said. Spray parks and splash pads began operating Memorial Day and will close out their summer on Labor Day. More information about pool hours and resources can be found on the city's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
6 hours ago
- CBS News
1,000 boys and young men of color expected to take part in Brilliance and Excellence march against violence
The third annual Brilliance and Excellence march against violence is set for this weekend in Chicago. The purpose is to promote antiviolence strategies and resources for the community, and organizers hope to bring more than 1,000 boys and young men of color together for that purpose. "We strategically placed this march at the end of the school year," said Vondale Singleton, founder of CHAMPS Male Mentoring and cofounder of the Brilliance and Excellence movement. The annual gathering aims to change the narrative. "The way that young Black men are looked at in our city, it's not like a good look," said Brashen Gilbert, portfolio manager for Male Mogul Initiative. "So I just want to show how we can come together and just stand up for each other." Gilbert is expecting the area of Pershing Road and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Bronzeville to be filled with hundreds of boys and young men for the third annual Brilliance and Excellence march and opportunity fair. The Brilliance and Excellence movement is a conglomerate of local organizations, coming together to march along that historic stretch of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. "Let's not make the excuse that nobody cares, that 'no one loves me,'" said Singleton. "We love you. We support you. We're rocking with you. We're rocking for you. But you've got to show up." When the march first started in 2023, 700 boys and men showed up on the South Side. Last year, the march was held on the West Side, and nearly 1,000 took part. Keith Bass of Male Mogul Initiative participated in the previous marches, and said it allows young men to receive summer jobs and plug them into safe and peaceful activities. "I think they just benefit by just getting the exposure that, you know, there's a lot of Black positive male role models in Chicago," Bass said. "They can really bring people to come together." Singleton said since the previous Brilliance and Excellence movement marches were so successful, the Obama Foundation reached out and asked the group to be the new backbone organization for My Brother's Keeper Chicago. "We have a Brilliance and Excellence board who's focused on creating convening spaces across Chicago — so not just on the South Side," Singleton said. "We have a West Side regional space. We have a Latinx community space for MBK." The 1,000 boys and young men of color will meet Saturday near the intersection of Pershing Road and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The march kicks off at 10 a.m.
