Forty Years Ago

Mike Walker, son of Ye Olde Editor Claude, had the original idea and made it work. With his leadership the village of Forest Park adopted a Marine unit fighting in Vietnam. Other towns remembered other military units, and a big morale boost spread over a lot of war-weary troops. Foodstuffs, like candy, pound cake, canned goods etc. were packaged and sent; practical items like Band-Aids, socks, toothpaste and brushes, too.

All the items and all the packages were donated and made up by residents here.

Just as important, each package came with its own letter, written by Mike or someone else on the Review staff. The packages/letters were always acknowledged by an officer representing the fighting troops, and a bond was forged between the people of Forest Park and the unit’s soldiers.

Here’s a small sample of a letter to the Review from Lt. Dave Harris, U.S.M.C.: “Mike–We have no excuse for not getting this material (photographs) to you sooner. We’ve been fairly busy lately and have just moved to a new location southwest of DaNang. I realize this is short, but I mainly wanted to get the pictures sent off today. Hope everything is fine in Forest Park.”

The Delta Company’s 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Division stayed in touch with their sponsor city for the duration.

From the Sept. 28, 1967, Forest Park Review

Thirty Years Ago

The following story came off the wires in October 1977: “During the last three years alone, 1 million Americans died prematurely because they smoked cigarettes. During the same period, cigarette companies spent $1 billion to advertise and promote this lethal product. The image of smoking has been projected by skilled advertisers as part of every ‘smart’ lifestyle.

“Because the bans on television have made it harder to create such hero images as the Marlboro cowboy, advertisers admit they are emphasizing the product itself. They’ve tried to sell the ‘naturalness’ of tobacco, even the idea of natural brown paper. ‘But there is nothing natural about inhaling hot smoke into your lungs,’ said John Kirkwood, executive director of the Chicago Lung Association. And the reality behind the advertising images of smoking is disability and death.” So light it up and suck it in.

From the Oct. 5, 1977, Forest Park Review

Twenty Years Ago

The owner of a Forest Park jewelry store was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting an employee and failing to have a registration for a gun kept in the rear of the store. The employee, an 18-year-old Melrose Park woman, had been working for two days when the alleged assault took place. The victim was taken to the back room where the owner, within reaching distance of a handgun, made sexual advances to her. She accused the owner of forcing her to commit a sexual act and said she was afraid the owner would use the weapon.

From the July 1, 1987, Forest Park Review

Ten Years Ago

Ten a.m. and a woman’s screams pierce the air. Neighbors on the 800 block of Maple Avenue, just east of Harlem Avenue, see a man running, and report this to the Oak Park police who put out a radio call to cruisers in the area. Nearby is Forest Park police officer Michael Keating who hears the call and recognizes the description as that of a man he had seen hanging around in the vicinity about an hour earlier. After a two-hour search was about to be called off, Keating noticed blood on a fence near an open first-floor window. Oak Park and Forest Park police enter the apartment and find James Evans, 29, of Chicago along with the body of 39-year-old Angela Glover. Glover had been stabbed repeatedly.

It was thought that the two had shared the apartment and apparently quarreled. Further investigation suggested this was not the case; that Evans had committed a home invasion and was surprised in the failed burglary.

From the Aug. 6, 1977, Forest Park Review