Navy Veteran Bill Glennon Celebrates a Century of Life and Service
Bill Glennon, a Navy veteran, moves quickly as he heads to the Wall of Honor at the Prairie Path senior living community in Lombard. At 101 years old, he is not slowed by his walker or his age. As the nation marks its 250th anniversary, Glennon is more surprised by his longevity than inclined to reflect on his life. When asked what advice he might offer younger people, the Western Springs resident ponders, “To tell you the truth, I don’t know – I’m amazed I’m here. The good Lord has let me stay so long and I enjoy myself all the time.”
Glennon’s long life could have ended prematurely in World War II. Born in Maywood, he was just 17 when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. “A buddy and me went downtown and joined the Navy,” he remembers. Although they wanted the Air Force, they joined the Navy, as the Air Force wasn’t enlisting that day. Glennon was trained as a gunner in the Navy Air Corps and assigned to a PV-1 Ventura, shooting down enemy planes as the crew bombed Japanese targets. Missions every three days became routine.
One mission ended with his plane shot down over the North Pacific. Glennon and six comrades found themselves in the cold waters off Alaska. “A lot was going through my mind,” he says. “Was I going to live?” As the last to exit the plane, he deployed his flotation device, helped five crew members, and watched another swim for safety. Fortunately, fishermen who noticed the plane’s lights and heard the gunshots for attention rescued them.
“One of our guys was just floating, unconscious,” Glennon recalls. The fishermen picked them up and took them to their village, saving their lives. After four days of care from Alaskan villagers, the Navy retrieved them and sent them to Seattle for recovery. Once fit for duty, Glennon became a gunnery school instructor in the South Pacific.
After the war, Glennon returned to Maywood and his fiancée, Virginia. “She was waiting for me,” he notes, recalling how quickly they married. Following his return, he embarked on a career in education, ending as the principal of Butler Junior High School in Oak Brook. Although he taught many students, he rarely spoke of his war experiences, seeing his military service as a necessary duty.
The Glennons enjoyed 75 years of marriage, three children, seven grandchildren, and an expanding number of great-grandchildren. “There are more coming,” Glennon adds. Post-retirement, he and Virginia took up golf before settling in Lombard’s Prairie Path. Following Virginia’s death five years ago, he remains active with friends and staff.
Glennon begins his day with breakfast around 8 a.m., followed by outdoor walks and exercise at the center. He enjoys a daily Manhattan with lunch. With family nearby, visits are frequent. “They bring all the kids here,” Glennon says. Sundays include dinner with his daughter Adriene, an accomplished cook.
Reflecting on his past before the Wall of Honor, Glennon’s picture as a young Navy volunteer reminds him of his service alongside other veterans. Although he’ll soon be 102, he avoids commenting on changes over his lifetime. “I’ve tried to stay out of politics,” Glennon states. “My life has been good – I’ve been fortunate. Things were really easier back then … now, I’m just glad to be here.”