WWII Vet To Serve As Grand Marshal Of Winnetka 4th Of July Parade

WINNETKA, IL — A veteran of World War II will serve as the grand marshal for Winnetka's 2021 4th of July parade, organizers announced.

Glenn Felner, a Chicago native and Winnetka resident, fought in the Battle of the Bulge, earning a Bronze Star and membership in the French Legion of Honor.

Felner, 95, enlisted in the U.S. Army after completing high school and served in the 271st Regiment of 69th Infantry Division as a technical corporal, according to the Winnetka Park District.

In what would become one of the bloodiest battles of the war, Felner survived weeks of fighting in the Ardennes region in December 1944 and January 1945 as the allied forces fought back a final Nazi counteroffensive.

Felner's unit would arrive months later at the Buchenwald Concentration Camp in central Germany, according to the park district, where they would liberate thousands of Jewish prisoners "from certain death."

After returning to Chicago, Felner worked as a journalist for the Chicago Sun-Times before starting an insurance business and spending decades as a chartered life underwriter for Mass Mutual.

In 1989, Felner made his first trip to Rwanda to visit gorillas and found himself smitten by the country. He later contacted the U.S. consulate in Kigali, the country's capital, and arranged a meeting with its ambassador to the United States. He was appointed honorary consul for the Republic of Rwanda the next year, operating out of his insurance agency in Northbrook.

Felner has been a longtime supporter of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and PAWS Chicago. In 2014, he established the no-kill shelter's first satellite adoption center, the Glenn L. Felner North Shore Adoption Center, inside the Highland Park Petco.

RELATED: 4th Of July Parades Planned, Fireworks Canceled In Winnetka, Glencoe

Village and park district officials announced they are honored to recognize Felner as the grand marshal of the 2021 parade, which is due to begin at 10 a.m. Sunday at Elm Street and Glendale before heading east on Elm Street to the Village Green.

At noon, the park district will host the family-friend Fourthfest event, which is due to include a balloon artist, crafts, games, inflatables, a giant slide and more.

According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, fewer than 326,000 of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II were still alive as of last year. Projections from the National WWII Museum indicate there will be fewer than 200,000 remaining by next year.