For the second year running, Division 1 of the American Legion hosted its annual outreach session at the Italian American Veterans Museum. On March 12, more than a dozen post commanders assembled at the museum for breakfast and a general meeting, after which they took to the phones to rally involvement from past and at-large members. “The museum is the […]
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Officers of the American Legion Department of Illinois, 9th District, and 9th District Auxiliary, held their Post Everlasting ceremony at Casa Italia on March 23. The ceremony is held annually in remembrance of 9th District Legion Family members who died over the last year. Representing the 9th District Legion were Commander Greg Jacobs; Sr. Vice Commander Lorenzo Fiorentino; Jr. Adjutant […]
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Thanks to the overwhelming kindness of our friends and matching-grant benefactors, the Italian American Veterans Museum was able to raise NEARLY $7,000 in the course of our Giving Tuesday campaign. Those funds will prove crucial during the lean winter months ahead. We’d like to acknowledge those benefactors whose matching funds proved so pivotal to the success of our campaign: Retired […]
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IAVM President Renato Bacci offered a bird’s-eye view of a war-torn country on the mend during a revealing AV presentation on Nov. 14 at the museum. The retired Army Colonel arrived in Sarajevo on January 27, 1996, with an MBA and 24 years as a banking executive under his belt. His mission? To help rebuild the banking system in Bosnia […]
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The Italian American Podcast invited IAVM President Renato Bacci as their guest on a Nov. 9 episode dedicated to Veterans Day. Bacci spoke about the contributions of Italian Americans to our nation’s military history; shed light on the museum’s mission, exhibits and activities; and shared memories of his own military experiences, including the difference between the meals served by the […]
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IAVM Curator Steve Corbo gave members of the Arcolian Dental Arts Society a guided tour of the Italian American Veterans Museum on Oct. 26. Among the visitors was Arcolian President Derek Fornelli, DDS, son of Joe Fornelli, a Huey helicopter crew chief during the Vietnam War who is prominently featured in the museum and played a key role in its […]
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Retired Army Major Lorenzo Fiorentino wowed an appreciative crowd with his knowledge of Illinois military monuments at an Aug. 22 presentation at the Italian American Veterans Museum. An author of a book on the subject, Fiorentino departed from the text to share several stories not covered in the pages of his well-researched and richly illustrated volume. Audience members were treated […]
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Joe Fabiani saw his share of action as a light weapons squad leader with the 2nd Division, 23rd Infantry, East Company, during the Korean War, revealing those sometimes harrowing experiences as part of the Melrose Park Library’s Veterans History Project several years back. Five years after his passing, his niece Sandra Donovan donated a recording of that interview to the […]
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On June 25, Tom Pacyga stopped by the Italian American Veterans Museum to donate a practice bomb that had been used in the training of Navy air crews on Lake Michigan during World War II. Hollow and deceptively light, the bomb had been gathering dust in Pacyga’s garage for decades. He was inspired to make the donation after seeing publicity […]
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Army veteran Michael Holub offered a rousing introduction to one of the Army’s most elite regiments at a June 27 presentation at the museum. A member of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment during his tour of duty in the 1970s, Holub now spreads the word as a spokesperson for the Old Guard Association. Known as the Old Guard, the regiment […]
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