75th Anniversary, Maywood Bataan Day

SPRINGFIELD, IL (09/08/2017) (readMedia)-- Maywood Bataan Day Annual Memorial Service to remember the sacrifice of the Illinois National Guard's 192nd Tank Battalion during World War II will take place Sept. 10 at 3 p.m. Maj. Gen. Richard J. Hayes Jr., the Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard, will present awards to Ian Smith and Jim Opolony for their efforts to preserve the history of the 192nd Tank Battalion.
WHO: Illinois National Guard, The Maywood Bataan Day Organization, The Village of Maywood, Ian Smith and Jim Opolony
WHAT: • Maywood Bataan Day Annual Memorial Service • Award Ceremony
WHEN: Sunday September 10, 2017 at 03:00PM Central Time (US & Canada)
WHERE: Veterans Memorial Maywood Park
corner of 1st Avenue & Oak Street
Maywood, Illinois 60153
NOTES: • To remember the sacrifice of the Illinois National Guard’s 192nd Tank Battalion during World War II. • Maj. Gen. Richard J. Hayes Jr., the Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard will present awards to Ian Smith and Jim Opolony for their efforts to preserve the history of the 192nd Tank Battalion. In 1999, Smith and Opolony challenged their students with a project to collect information on the 192nd. Due to the local connection, the project far exceeded their expectations because the students felt closely connected to the men of the 192nd. Many of the men who had served lived or were living in their neighborhoods. The Proviso East High School Bataan Commemorative Research Project has filled in the blanks for many family members wishing to know what their lost loved ones went through. Today there is a website that has video interviews and information on the 192nd. Smith and Opolony keep this site up to date each year with new information. See the website at this link: http://bataanproject.com/ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: • Contact the Illinois National Guard Public Affairs Office at 217-725-2265 for more information.