West Lawn in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Thomas J. Stack
1944 1994
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, January 9, 2025
1. Thomas J. Stack Marker
Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Education • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Law Enforcement • War, Vietnam.
Location. 41° 45.326′ N, 87° 43.42′ W. Memorial is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in West Lawn. It can be reached from 76th Street 0.1 miles west of Pulaski Road, on the right when traveling west. The marker is on the campus of Richard J. Daley College. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 7500 South Pulaski Road, Chicago IL 60652, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this memorial is in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Marquette Park World War I Memorial (approx. 1.4 miles away); The MLK Living Memorial (approx. 1½ miles away); Martin Luther King, Jr. Living Memorial (approx. 1½ miles away); Our Lady of Fatima (approx. 1.8 miles away); St. Bakhita (approx. 1.9 miles away); Darius and Girenas Memorial (approx. 1.9 miles away); Chicago Fire Department Engine Company 127
this page online
More about this memorial. The marker is in front of a flagpole in a patio area on the south edge of Richard J. Daley College's main building. While the area is only accessible by entering the school building, it is immediately next to the property's exterior and easily readable through the campus's exterior fence.
Regarding Thomas J. Stack. Thomas Stack was a sergeant in the 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969 and, after the war, became a veterans rights activist, a Chicago policeman and, in his final years, a professor. IVVLP, referenced on this memorial, is likely the Illinois chapter of the Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program. Stack died at age 50 in 1994 of cancer he believed had been caused by exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam.
Also see . . .
1. Thomas Stack, advocate for veterans of Vietnam. Stack's obituary in the Chicago Tribune, printed in April 1994.
Excerpt: "Whether it was testifying about Agent Orange, which he believed caused his cancer and his son to be born with one kidney;(Submitted on January 10, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)organizing the 1986 parade and one in 1991 welcoming home Persian Gulf War veterans; or fighting a display of the U.S. flag on the floor as part of a student exhibit at the Art Institute, Mr. Stacks efforts were unceasing, friends and family members said."Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, January 9, 20252. Thomas J. Stack MarkerThe marker is visible in front of the flagpole.
2. Congressional Record: Tribute to Thomas J. Stack. Illinois Rep. Bill Lipinski honored Stack on the floor of Congress on May 4, 1994, quoting from a Chicago Sun-Times article about Stack.
Excerpt: "'He was a hell of a man,' said retired Gen. William C. Westmoreland, who commanded U.S. forces in Vietnam from 1964 to 1968. 'Tom showed great bravery and valor on the battlefield. He put his life on the line to protect his men,' Westmoreland said Tuesday. He recalled that Stack was among the more selfless men that he had known. In Stack's final hours, his spirits brightened when he received a phone call from Westmoreland at St. Francis Hospital in Blue Island. Stack smiled when he got the call from his wartime commander. "I just told him how much he meant to all of us and that we were pulling for him,' said Westmoreland, 80, who frequently corresponded with Stack. 'He's going to be missed.'"(Submitted on January 10, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
3. Daley College official site
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, January 9, 2025
3. Daley College
Credits. This page was last revised on January 10, 2025. It was originally submitted on January 10, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 270 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 10, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
