-By Warner Todd Huston
WWII veteran Sparky Songer — captured in 1944 at the Battle of the Bulge — shared his remarkable story of heroism last Saturday, September 24th, at Operation Homefront Illinois 2nd Annual Black & White Night Gala.
Sparky shared his life story with more than 100 supporters of the brave men and women of our armed forces who attended the gala event. The proceeds from the 2nd Annual Black & White Night Gala go to support Operation Homefront Illinois’ service mission to provide emergency assistance to the families of active duty deployed members of the military, as well as wounded warriors in the process of transitioning back to civilian life.
Please click here to learn more about WWII veteran Sparky Songer’s remarkable story.
A resident of Danville, IL, Sparky Songer was drafted into the US Army in July of 1943. Captured at the Battle of the Bulge, Sparky remained a POW in Germany until he was liberated in May of 1945. He was honorably discharged form the Army in November of 1945.
In 1951, Sparky Songer again felt the call to serve his country, and he enlisted in the US Air Force to serve in the Korean War. He remained in the service of his country for 20 years until he was honorably discharged from the Air Force in August of 1971.
“Sparky Songer is emblematic of the World War II generation — the greatest generation,” added Operation Homefront Illinois Chapter President Dan Proft. “His story of service and bravery in the face of adversity is remarkable, and it was truly an honor to have him as our guest.”
Operation Homefront Illinois would like to thank everyone who attended in support of our service mission to Illinois military families. We’d also like ot thank Ed Tracy and everyone at the Pritzker Military Library — a stunning venue with captivating exhibits that provided the perfect backdrop for the evening. And, a special thank you goes out to all the Illinois military families and representatives of other non-profit organizations who serve Illinois military families who attended.
You can view more photos of Operation Homefront Illinois 2nd Annual Black and White Night here on our Flickr page.
Operation Homefront – Illinois is a non-profit organization that provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of active duty, deployed military men and women, and to our wounded warriors transitioning back to civilian life. Recently, Operation Homefront received a Four Star rating — the highest rating possible — from Charity Navigator, America’s premier independent charity evaluator.