Jack Redman comes home to fanfare (Updated)

Hondo told you back in January that Jack Redman (on your right in the above photo with his brother Hobe) was coming home after his remains were identified where he fell on Tarawa in November, 1943. One of our ninjas send us a link to the preparations his hometown, Watseka, Illinois, are making for his last welcome home;

“First, we have decided to move the service from the funeral home to the First United Methodist Church, just south of the home,” [Steve Knapp, the Watseka funeral director] said. “Our capacity might be 150 to 160, but the church will hold 330. If the crowd outgrows that, well, we’ll work with that Saturday.

“And, now, it looks like we’re going to have a motorcade from O’Hare on Friday,” he added. “The Marines are sending an escort and Gov. [Bruce] Rauner is sending a representative. We will meet at the airport around 11 a.m., and then the family will be in one car, and a Marine honor guard will travel with us in a van as we head back to Watseka.”

[…]

“We would like to see Route 24 lined with people and flags. There will also be a flag line at cemetery,” Bicking said. “And, after all is done, we will be doing a cookout for everyone at Veterans Park.”

Updated May 16, 2015; Last night a local historian sent us some news clippings that announced Jack’s death in 1943. He was a local sports hero, apparently. His record of scoring 34 points in one high school basketball game stood for 25 years.

On the gridiron where he received All-State recognition as an end, before the annual Veterans Day football game against Milford for the R. M. Hampton trophy in 1941, the local newspaper referred to him as ““Jolting Jack” Redman, senior fullback and one of the best ground-gainers in Warrior history.”

Here’s the newspaper clipping that stunned the community;

I’m glad that the community finally gets to welcome their hometown hero back where he belongs.

Category: We Remember