DOWNERS GROVE - Downers Grove resident John Guarnaccia never expected to be honored at his home as a World War II Army veteran on Nov. 18. In the era of COVID-19, volunteers from Honor Flight Chicago traveled to Guarnaccia for his recognition as a veteran.

“I was surprised,” Guarnaccia said. “They were all very nice, they drove three car caravans and they were tooting their horns. They put the honor sign in my front yard, and I was happy, but I was surprised.”

Normally, veterans meet those from Honor Flight Chicago at the Midway Airport for their day of honor, but the pandemic has changed that this year.

Guarnaccia moved to Downers Grove from Chicago when he was 6 years old.

“We’re an Italian family and when we came from Chicago, we lived in an Italian neighborhood, and the only language I knew how to speak was Italian,” Guarnaccia said. “When I went to school, I flunked the first grade because I didn't speak English.”

Growing up, Guarnaccia said his family was poor, so he helped out by expanding their house with his knowledge in carpentry. Guarnaccia expanded the house enough for the family to collect rent off from other people staying in the extra spaces.

He was drafted into the Army in 1944 when he was a senior at Downers Grove High School. He had to double up on classes his first semester because he would be drafted by his second semester. Guarnaccia recalls his mother getting his diploma for him while he was away.

He spent a year at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, training as a part of anti-aircraft artillery battalions. His time in the Army was cut short due to an ear infection, so he received a medical discharge.

“I spent time in the anti-aircraft artillery where we were supposed to protect our shores from the enemy airplanes that came in, some we never had,” he said. “We were trained in how to shoot airplane downs and how to identify a lot of different airplanes and what silhouettes they displayed. For a long time after the Army, I could tell what planes did what.”

Following his time in the Army, Guarnaccia spent the last 75 years in Downers Grove. Initially, he got into carpentry work and then later met the woman who would one day be his late wife.

“We had three children, one of them died at 10 years old to diabetes,” Guarnaccia said.

Some of Guarnaccia’s time in Downers Grove included running several businesses such as carpentry, restaurants and refrigeration. He said most of his success was found in the restaurant business that he was in for a short amount of time.

“I had some good times and bad times in my life, but overall I think I've been pretty fortunate because I’m 95 years old already and still in pretty good shape.”