Historic WWII Scrapbook Helps Preserve Stories of Kane County's Fallen

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A World War II-era scrapbook documenting local service members killed in action is helping preserve and expand the historical record of Kane County's fallen.   

The existence of the scrapbook was mentioned during a regularly scheduled meeting of Veterans organizations in Kane County, where it was offered to the Kane County Veterans Assistance Commission for review.

The collection, compiled by the auxiliary of American Legion Post 342 beginning in May 1941, contains newspaper clippings honoring individuals from St. Charles and surrounding communities who died during World War II. Members of Post 342 also took part in most, if not all, of the funerals for those whose remains were repatriated during and after the war.

KCVAC Superintendent Jake Zimmerman reviewed the scrapbook and compared its contents with county records, identifying missing details and helping fill gaps in official accounts. He also used the information to update federal records for service members still listed as missing in action.

The scrapbook reflects the global scope of the war, with local service members killed in locations including Hawaii, Belgium, France, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands. Among them was Leslie Delles, who died aboard the USS Oklahoma during the Attack on Pearl Harbor.

It also documents personal stories, including cousins Keith Jennings and George Hanmer, who were honored in a joint funeral, and twin brothers Clarence and Conrad Johnson, who enlisted together in 1941 and were both killed in North Africa in 1943. There is also a monument in France that marks the site where Jennings crashed his P-47 Thunderbolt, serving as a lasting tribute to his service.   

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Five of the individuals in the pages of the scrapbook remain missing in action. Their cases continue to be investigated by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, and additional photos and details from the scrapbook have been submitted to help complete their profiles. They are:

• Chester E. Abrahamson, lost in the Java Sea on the USS Houston
• John “Jack" L. Wagner, lost on the B-17 Flying Fortress “Sugar Foot"
• Donald J. Driessen, lost over Italy on a P-47 Thunderbolt
• Joseph “Roy" R. Lund, lost over Austria on the B-24 Liberator “Baff'ling Brat"
• Warren “Pete" C. Burgess, lost at an unknown location over the Pacific Ocean on a TBM Avenger

“In the digital age, it's easy to overlook something like this as just an old scrapbook, but it really holds deeply personal stories that could otherwise be lost to time," said Zimmerman. “Having the chance to go through it not only helps improve the accuracy of our historical records, but also helps preserve the sacrifices of those who served for generations to come."

See excerpts from the scrapbook at https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:7770912d-5d25-47f2-9863-141f28902238​ 

Learn more about the Kane County Veterans Assistance Commission at https://www.kanecountyil.gov/pages/veterans.aspx