VFW Post 10396 Memorial Day Cere

VFW Post 10396 Memorial Day Ceremony &

Memorial Park Monument Unveiling

May 25, 2009

The thought of updating the monument at Memorial Park on Thunderbird Trail recently came up when Carol Stream resident, Leonard Gulczynski was killed in Iraq last year. We were asked if anything could be done to memorialize his passing.

When researching the history of Memorial Park we found that the park was established to recognize individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives serving our country on the battlefield or performing Village emergency services. The following excerpts from Carol Stream historian Jean Moore’s book entitled “Build Your Own Town” chronicle those individuals memorialized at the park:

Ø "In April, 1963 tragedy struck the tiny village [of Carol Stream] and reminded all residents that there was much more to firefighting than just racing to the scene of a fire. Edward T. Mangels, 34, died in Delnor Hospital, St. Charles, a victim of smoke inhalation while fighting a barn fire on the Rosenwinkel farm north of Cloverdale. First aid was administered at the fire scene and enroute to the hospital, the closest to the area at the time.

Mangels was a veteran, married and the father of two daughters. He served on the Carol Stream Plan Commission and was secretary of the Firemen’s Association of the Keeneyville Fire Protection District. The Community presented the young widow with $500.

Mangel’s death resulted in a formal dedication by the Village of Carol Stream of a Memorial Park. Plans were made at that time to use the small park to record for posterity the names of men and women who gave their lives in the service of their country or while performing duties as village emergency personnel."

Ø "In 1967 the community had been awakened to the fact that the Vietnam War was not some far away place that only affected other people. Mr. and Mrs. Leo Blasen of Thunderbird Trail had been notified in early summer that their son, Corporal Richard Blasen of the U.S. Marine Corps, had been killed in action in that faraway land. He was the second person named to the Honor Roll in Memorial Park. As the tempo of the war picked up, there were a number of other families whose sons served in Vietnam. Some were injured but Blasen was the only one from the Village who lost his life."

Ø "On May 1, 1982 another name was added to the list of persons who had lost their lives in our nation’s service or while on emergency duty. The young man was Sgt. Steven Olczyk of Carol Stream, U.S. Air Force Reserve. He was one of 27 men on weekend duty when the C-135 in which they were riding crashed in McHenry County, Illinois. His name was added to the list on the memorial stone in Memorial Park. His widow, three young children and his parents lived in the village at that time" and Mary Olczyk still lives in the Village.

Ø On Friday September 17, 2008 Carol Stream lost another of its sons on the battlefield in another far off land. PFC Leonard Gulczynski II lost his life in the U.S. war on terrorism in Iraq when his army vehicle was involved in an accident causing him to be thrown from the gunner’s turret. Leonard followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather as soldiers who served our country to protect the freedoms we all enjoy. Leonard and each of the names on this monument gave the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our country and the Village.

We have chosen this day, Memorial Day, the day our country commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service, to unveil the new monument. At this time I would ask the representatives from the Blasen, Olczyk and Gulczynski families to unveil the memorial and place the wreath at the monument.

To the Mangels family, the Blasen family, the Olczyk family and the Gulczynski family, we owe you and these young men our most sincere and deepest debt of gratitude.

Thank you for attending this ceremony.

The following pictures were taken at the Memorial Day Ceremony at Memorial Park on May 25, 2009: