Northwest Armory Marks 70 Years As Part of Windy City's History

Story by 1st Lt. Harold Giovanni Cubillo, 108th Sustainment Brigade

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The Northwest Armory hosted the funeral for the 27 young victims of the fire at the Our Lady of the Angels school on Dec. 1, 1958.

CHICAGO, IL (12/20/2010)(readMedia)-- World War II was heating up overseas as Germany stepped up its bombing raids on England and Hungary. Romania and Slovakia joined the Axis powers; movie goers flocked to see Walt Disney's newly released movie "Fantasia" for 24 cents a ticket; the Green Bay Packers became the first NFL team to travel by plane, and Joe Louis had just knocked out Al McCoy in the 6th round of the heavyweight boxing title in Chicago. The year was 1940.

On Dec. 20, Brig. Gen. Leo M. Boyle, the recently appointed Adjutant General of the Illinois Army National Guard, had quite a busy and significant day. He had to travel to Chicago for the dedication of the Illinois Army National Guard's newest armory.

The building at 1551 North Kedzie Avenue in Chicago was constructed on land granted by the Chicago Park Commissioners to the state and by the time it was finished, it cost $1.3 million, equivalent to approximately $20 million today. The facility not only contained the latest technology and accommodations of its time, but was also the largest armory in Illinois.

"The armory is a strictly up-to-date structure, embodying many features not ordinarily found in armories," wrote the Illinois Guardsmen in 1940.

Some of these features are easily taken for granted today, but back in 1940, the building was the talk of the Illinois National Guard. Its auditorium is 187 feet by 127 feet with a seating capacity of 1,800 and was meant to not only house three brigade headquarters, but also to support the

community's civic functions and activities. There were locker rooms, day rooms, a large 1940-modern

kitchen, an officer's club, a gymnasium, an underground garage with space for 200 army trucks, a rifle range, a boiler room and heating and ventilating plants.

According to the 1940 Illinois Guardsmen "At the time of its inauguration, the armory housed the 108th Medical Regiment, the 108th Quartermaster Regiment and the 33rd Division Special Troops, totaling about 1,000 men altogether."

Today, the armory houses the 108th Sustainment Brigade Headquarters, the 108th Special Troops Battalion (STB) and the 244th Army Liaison Team.

The 70-year old facility is covered in history and thanks to rehabilitation projects; one can still feel like going back in time when walking the halls. The drill floor has been redone recently, but the bleachers and Broadway-size stage have been left intact. The original clocks are being returned to working order in the foyer and drill floor area. The pine rooms and the conference rooms, formerly the officer clubs, were renovated but left with historical fixtures to maintain their authenticity. More projects are on the way, starting with the glass block replacement that will be done on the front of the building and will be kept with the same historical feature.

Besides serving the Illinois National Guard, the building has served the Chicago community in times of celebration and in times of sorrow. As a community center for Chicagoans, the facility hosted boxing matches, concerts, parties and civic events. It also hosted the funeral for the 27 young victims of the fire at the Our Lady of the Angels school on Dec.1, 1958. The building was selected for the service because the church had no facilities large enough to accommodate the anticipated crowd. Nearly 7,000 mourners filled the building to capacity for the service.

Five wars to include one World War, countless troops and 70 winters later, the majestic Northwest Armory stands as proud as it did on Dec. 20, 1940, said Lt. Col. Matthew Voyles, the commander of the 108th and the facility commander of the Northwest Armory.

"There is a piece of history in every corner of the building," said Voyles. "That history will remain in place for future generations to observe. In the meantime, 1551 North Kedzie will proudly answer "PRESENT" when called for duty."