MEMORIAL RESOLUTION HONORING THE LIFE OF JAMES R.ZWIT
WHEREAS,James"Jim"R.Zwit, beloved husband, father, grandfather, formerChicago Police officer, and proud Vietnam veteran, passed away on March 12, 2021 at 70 years of age; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of James's passing by the Honorable Derrick G. Curtis, Alderman of the 18th Ward; and
WHEREAS, Jim grew up on the Southwest Side and went to St. Bede the Venerable Grade school and Bogan High School before attending what was then called the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle; he enlisted in the Army in 1970 and served in the 501st Battalion of the 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam; and
WHEREAS, In Vietnam, while on a mission to retrieve the body of an American soldier with 78 men, Jim's company was ambushed, eight soldiers were killed, and Jim suffered what many doctors thought were life threatening injuries; however he persevered; and
WHEREAS, After recovering, Jim spent decades locating the families of the eight soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in his company during the ambush and personally delivered their stories to the soldiers' families and helped them find closure; and
WHEREAS, Jim made it his mission to become a voice for veterans and he actively maintained contact with his fellow soldiers and organized gatherings, volunteered with Honor Flights Chicago, and spoke at several schools across the City to educate future generations about war and the heroes who fight in them; and
WHEREAS, With a charismatic personality that lit up every room he was in, Jim touched countless lives in his unique and special way; he was passionate and driven and gave his all to the people he loved; and
WHEREAS, Jim was the beloved husband of Grace (nee Guerrero) Zwit; father of Jennifer (Brian) Hennessy, Jeffrey (Theresa) Zwit, Vincent (Maggie) Zwit and Christian Zwit; grandfather of Skylar, Lola, Ruby and Aria; and
WHEREAS, Jim will forever be remembered as a bright light to man...
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