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The box holds two Purple Hearts, honorary discharge papers, a picture ID, a dog tag, belt buckles, miscellaneous papers, an American Legion cap from Elgin, and a grainy photocopy of the hero believed to be the rightful owner of these military items—Michael B. Zielinski.
“We know Mr. Zielinski enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1942, trained at Naval Station Great Lakes, served on the U.S.S. Birmingham, and was discharged in 1945,” said Julie Mann, Kane County’s Public Information Officer. “What we don’t know is the identity of his family members who might like to have these memories of a man who fought as part of the Greatest Generation in World War II.”
Occasionally, the Kane County Veterans Assistance Commission receives lost or misplaced military decorations and memorablia to return to the families of veterans. In this case, there are many clues about Mr. Zielinski in the box the Commission was given, but no trace of any living relatives.
“Through extensive research, we discovered that Mr. Zielinski was born in Chicago in 1919,” said Mann. “He lived in Elgin on Lakeview Road and worked for Western Electric before later joining the U.S. Post Office.”
Mr. Zielinski passed away in 1997 at the age of 78. He had three siblings, including a brother named Walter. According to records, he was married late in life to a woman named Bess, who is also deceased. Both are buried at Memory Gardens Cemetery in Arlington Heights.
Despite thorough research of military records, Purple Heart recipients, birth and death records, and census information, locating Mr. Zielinski’s family has proven fruitless.
“So here sits a box of invaluable military memorabilia—a reminder of a life and service that deserves to be part of a family history,” said Jake Zimmerman, Superintendent of the Kane County Veterans Assistance Commission. “It’s our hope someone remembers Mr. Zielinski or his family so we can make sure his memory lives on.”
Anyone with information on the survivors or friends of Navy Veteran Zielinski is encouraged to email [email protected].
For more information on Veteran Assistance Programs and obtaining benefits, please go to the Kane County Veterans Assistance website at https://www.kanecountyil.gov/pages/veterans.aspx.
