World War 2 Veteran Legacy Under Threat by Plainfield Village

World War 2 Veteran Legacy under Threat.

My dad was a World War 2 veteran. He fought on Imo Jima. He watched the flag rising as he stood below the hill as it took place.

He made 3 landings. His landing boat as a marine went into 3 different locations in the Pacific in the midst of the war with the Japanese without being killed- which was a miracle. Another miracle was that as he dug his foxhole the shovel hitting something that made a clink click noise. In that moment he realized he was digging right into a landmine that didn’t go off. He would hear the Japanese bombers flying overhead bombing but when the plane was overhead, it skipped him, then continued with their bombing.

He sent home a Samurai Sword that he got off a Japanese officer. They published that in the Herald News Joliet.

John is the person on the left

It took a long time for him to talk about these things. And now his own home he built in 1962 is under threat of being destroyed by an enemy. That enemy is the Plainfield Village Board. This, in the very country he fought for in the town he made his life in.

Raising 4 kids himself, after his divorce, he would work all day in a factory often as a foreman he would come home tired, have dinner and go and work on building his house, building it by his own hands, warming his hands by light bulb in the cold winter months, trying hard to get the home built for his 4 children and his wife, my mom. Finally done, we all moved in 1962. I was 1 years old.

Then 5 years later my mother left us all when I was 6 years old. I saw her once or twice and then never saw her again.. (until I was 21) she moved away.. So my dad began raising us all by himself. He was alone yet with some housekeepers help- but it was sometimes a very hard thing to manage. But my dad worked really hard, didn’t drink, didn’t do any drugs, he was never out all night, rather he had ethics and morals enough and a solid head on his shoulders. Making life as easy as he was able, by the grace of God for us. My dad and I planted a garden together every year and he always took care of things around his home. He never remarried because he said he heard too many stories of the stepparent not getting along with the kids or visa versa. So he stayed single raising us, working and doing the best he could, taking full responsibility.

I was the youngest, and the last to leave home, and then my brother came and took care of my dad, until he was 91 and he passed away. He was buried with Military honors.

He was a true hero everyone liked, always making jokes. Making pleasant conversation to everyone I’d bring home as a date. They’d always say, “I like your dad’. Everyone showed him respect when he landed in the hospital several times as he got older. Because my dad build his home, and it was my childhood home I took it over after he passed away. I wanted to keep what he built and pass it down to my children and their children… this legacy, something solid, tangible and which we are proud of. Its not fancy, its not luxurious, but it is well built and solid and it is a good home.

During the time of my move. I had heard some possibilities of the village of Plainfield wanting to take the ComED property for a highway, which was about 4 doors down from us, yet next to a family member whose house my uncle built. That issue was in and out of possibilities and fought for, for many years. I could not imagine my dad’s aunt having to hear semi- trucks outside her window day and night, where it had always been quiet around here.

When the ComED idea had fallen through, we rejoiced! Who wanted more truck noise and pollution (which can cause breathing problems in children, and other health issues associated with noise and pollution) coming right through our neighborhoods, that they had called a TRUCK ROUTE.

Rejoicing soon turned to greater alarm, as the Plainfield village, came up with a wonderful idea to destroy and bulldoze our homes instead to make room for this Truck highway. That would equate to destroying of a life of an 88 year old lady whose forced move would be very traumatic for her. She had lived in that house for 57 years.

My move back here to my dad’s house was very expensive and difficult. I have an ill daughter who lives with me, and as a result I had to do the move mostly myself, and was hard for her because of her illness. But we reasoned it was going to be our last home, our last move anywhere, and that this home would be passed down to my children, and their children etc. Which is also by the Bass and Gill Lake, which they, the Village, wants to destroy part of that too for this semi-truck highway. Wildlife live here all year round.

Meeting with the Plainfield board engineer I was told that it – the highway they want to build and destroy our homes to build, is to bring MORE truck traffic in and to welcome more truck industry, which is very close to our downtown. However there is commercial property further out where trucking businesses should go, not in the middle of, or very near the downtown area. They claim it isn’t related to the Diageo trucking business that just came in the area.

Watching the surveyors survey our back yard property–triggers this sense of privacy violation and upsets us who live here. This action is very cruel. It is mean, it is selfish and it is poor planning and management. We who live here are citizens too and we don’t deserve for you- the village- to destroy our homes and all that we had built over all these years for more tax money for the village. We are being sacrificed on the altar of greed and selfishness, poor planning. Instead of cutting spending, and finding wiser ways to handle things- this is their answer? What if it was them who lived here? Would they still be doing this?

While meeting with someone who knows the in’s and out’s, said that the village is not working for the people. They are working for themselves. They are doing things that are immoral and not right. They said, “It may not be illegal but it is immoral.” I pray all of those motives would be exposed and brought out into the light. That those who read this know what is really going on. They could try to take your home next.

What is right is right and what is wrong is wrong. Love your neighbor as yourself.

That is moral. Be considerate of people above money. My dads house is not the only one this would affect. There are many other homes in the path of this. And those homes that ‘get to stay here’ will be experiencing high traffic, pollution, and surge in high traffic noise which all prove to be very bad for a persons health and welfare and the destruction of wildlife habitats. Increase of traffic would be also cause the backing up of traffic on Naperville road.

The current problem would be solved if we shortened the lights timing at Rt126 onto Rt59 and Naperville road and Rt59. It is extremely long and needs to be shortened.

Do you think it would help with traffic to add this highway? Not so, it will increase because Plainfield’s desire and plan is to increase truck business and to I am quoting the engineer ” Have other truck businesses see this highway and say, ‘oh look we can have a business here, there is this highway.’ ‘ You think this is to solve the already increased traffic? Nope, it is to add more! Is this what you want citizens of Plainfield? What kind of town do you want Plainfield?

They, the village, want to add more houses, and increase this town. Why would anyone want to move here with it increasing the volume of potential trucks and cars to come through here adding more strain and congestion? Did you know that your taxes would pay for this highway to be maintained? Plainfield said they would pay for the maintenance of it.

Your once ‘small town’ is turning into an industrial park, with truck depots and truck businesses. Who will want to go downtown to do business or go through 59 with increased trucks coming through? The ability to turn onto 59 from 126 or Naperville road because of the long light is already a huge headache. This will congest it on 59 even more and it will congest it for those traveling on Naperville road.

My dad deserves more honor than this since he fought for this country and served under heavy gunfire than for you Plainfield village to tear down his house as if ‘he was in your way’- ‘in the way of your plan’s’ . An 88 year old senior deserves more respect than doing this to her which is cruel and heartless. Forcing families of young children to move is also cruel.

IF you are reading this voice your concerns and change the outcome of what your town is trying to do here. It is immoral, and unethical and wrong. Put yourself in other people’s shoes and fight for the widow and the orphan, the voiceless, and yes think what this would do to your own lives. Do to others, as you would have them do to you.

Call and write the Village Board and Voice your concerns; this could be your house they want to bulldoze. You have a voice. This isn’t how you treat a World War 2 veteran who risked his life for this country, nor their family members.

This amendment to the constitution was meant for wartime. If the gov takes your land they have to give you just compensation. It was never written for highways , rather it is an abuse of the original intent. Not to mention for the village to take a home that isn’t even in their village district and those who live in that area can’t vote them in or out of office is also very wrong.

We teach our children right and wrong. Where did the village board members fail to pick up and learn these critical, ethical and moral obligations to society? People first, their lives, their health, their wellbeing. Business and money should be after the welfare of others. One can learn this lesson from the movie, It's a wonderful life, where Mr. Potter wants to put money before people, and George fights for the welfare of the people over the greed of Mr. Potter.

Paula MinGucci

Please support this bill to protect those in unincorporated area’s

Below is the link to Sen. Murphy's bill (SB1224).

http://ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp…

Below is the link to language if you would like to read:

http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp…

*underlined info is new language