All too often, our veterans don’t get the recognition that they deserve.  But we owe everything to those who wore the uniform.

If you enjoy the freedom of speech – thank a veteran.

If you live without fear for the safety of you and your loved ones – thank a veteran.

If you take advantage of all the opportunities offered in the United States – thank a veteran.

If you are now speaking English and not German or Japanese – thank a veteran.

One of the services offered by my office is helping veterans track down medals that they have earned, but never received.  During the Veterans Day weekend, I was privileged to honor several 10th district residents throughout the area for their service. 

On Saturday at the Buffalo Grove Veterans Day ceremony, I awarded Thomas Wills of Waukegan with the Vietnam Service Medal with one Bronze Battle Star.

Congressman Kirk speaks at the Buffalo Grove Veterans Day ceremony next to 10th District Iraq War veteran Patrick Tiderman

Thomas James Wills of Waukegan was born on June 13, 1945 in Stambaugh, Michigan.  He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in May of 1966.  He was assigned to the 3rd Bridge Company, 7th Engineering Battalion in the 1st Marine Division.  As a combat engineer, his unit was charged with building bridges and other activities in support of combat operations. 

During his 13-month tour of service, he participated in the Tet Offensive as well as the Battle of Huế.  Thomas was wounded in action during the conflict when his company was ambushed in transit.  Their tires were shot out from under them as they drove.  While Marines attempted to retrieve more tires for the vehicles, Thomas was hit with shrapnel in his hands, arms, upper body, and nearly through his helmet.  The concussion blew off his flak jacket and the force sent him over a hill.  For his wounds, he was awarded the Purple Heart.

He stayed in country after his injuries and participated in the Battle of Huế, one of the bloodiest and longest battles of the Vietnam War.  During the battle, Thomas’ company was building a bridge to get more troops into the city.  During the construction, his unit was ambushed by the enemy and pinned down for over 18 hours until an Army tank battalion rescued them.  As a result, Thomas and the rest of his unit received the Presidential Unit Citation.  (To be eligible for the Presidential Unit Citation, the unit must display such gallantry, determination, and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions so as to set it apart from and above other units participating in the same campaign.)

He left the Marine Corps in September of 1968 as a Lance Corporal and has lived in Waukegan since 1979.  He is now retired, but previously worked as a project supervisor at HBAC Maintenance Engineering Group for Baxter and Abbott Labs.  His wife Carole came to the event and they have two sons – Jason and Cory.

On Sunday, we honored Hubert H. George, a World War I veteran.  He was born in 1895 and passed in 1967, but his daughter Virginia George Zumstein of Wilmette and his grandson, Jim George, joined us in at Navy Park in Glenview.

Congressman Kirk speaks at the Glenview Hanger One Foundation Veterans Day memorial as Glenview Village President Kerry Cummings looks on

Mr. George joined the Missouri National Guard in May of 1917 and served in D Company of the 4th Infantry Division.

There is an interesting story about his middle initial – Hubert George, much like Harry Truman, had no middle name when he was born. When he joined the Army, they gave him the middle initial “H,” just as they arbitrarily assigned “S” to the former president. However, no one in the Army called him Hubert: he was either Hugh or “Shucky” – a nickname name who origin was never known.

He saw combat in the trench warfare of World War I and participated in the Battle of Argonne Forest.  It was during that battle that he was injured in a gas attack, earning the Purple Heart.

Like many veterans, Mr. George rarely spoke of his experiences.  When he did, they were often stories of the life of a soldier, including how “Army boots ruined his feet,” or the advice he passed along to future generations – “You may drown in the Navy, but at least you’ll sleep in a bed and eat regularly.” 

Those words of advice played a pivotal role for Mr. George’s son and grandson.  Mr. George’s son Al served as a Marine corpsman during some of the bloodiest conflicts in the Pacific during World War II.  Jim, his grandson, also joined the Navy but now he takes issue with some of his grandfather’s comments.  He questions how comfortable the Navy really is after being on battle stations for 72-hours straight, where your only form of sleep is a cap nap on the metal floor plates of a gun mount.  Still, he claims his Grandpa was right – the food in the Navy was really good.

Mr. George left the Army in 1919 at the rank of corporal and moved to Chicago where he served as the yardmaster for the Proviso Railroad yard.  He passed in October of 1967.  Mr. George never received his Purple Heart for the gas attack in the Argonne Forest and I was honored to present it to his daughter.

Congressman Kirk presents the Purple Heart to Virginia George Zumstein

Jim George, Virginia George Zumstein and Congressman Kirk

I also attended the Winnetka Veterans Day ceremony on Sunday, where we honored Army Captain Carolyn Hoza who grew up in Winnetka and attended New Trier High School. 

After graduating she went to Carroll College in Wisconsin.  While at Carroll College she entered the ROTC program at Marquette University and was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the U.S. Army Transportation Corps.  She was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division as was stationed at the demilitarized zone in South Korea.  While stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, she helped develop the Army transportation school.

She left the Army in 2001 and went to work for Harley Davidson as a work group advisor.  In December of 2003, she was called up for duty as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom with the 423rd Quartermaster Battalion, 660th Transportation Company, 88th Regional Readiness Command of the Army Reserves.

She was stationed at Camp Anaconda in Iraq and was the platoon leader of the 3rd Platoon, whose responsibility was the transportation of fuel oil throughout Iraq.  In 2004 alone, her company transported more than 23 million gallons of JP8 jet fuel while traveling more than 935,000 miles throughout the Sunni Triangle, some of the most hazardous roadways in Iraq.

In February of 2005 she finished her tour and returned home.  She is a lifetime member of New Trier VFW Post #4831 and currently resides with her husband Tom Boissy, an Air Force Reservist, in Downers Grove. 

For her service in Iraq, she received the Combat Action Badge for her service during Operation Iraqi Freedom.  Her father, a Vietnam veteran, joined us on stage for the presentation.

Congressman Kirk presents Carolyn Hoza with the Combat Action Badge as her father and Vietnam veteran looks on

Congressman Kirk salutes Carolyn Hoza