I never had the chance to meet my Uncle Chester. He died 16 years before I was born. But even though our lives never overlapped, his presence has always been a part of our family—spoken of with reverence, pride, and deep respect.

Chester L. Kiolbassa served in the United States Army Air Force during World War II. He was part of a B-24 Liberator crew, flying missions over Europe at a time when the skies were filled with danger and uncertainty. In the early morning hours of December 11, 1944, somewhere over Austria, his plane was shot down by enemy fire. Recorded in the Missing Air Crew Report was a statement from one of only two surviving crew members who said he saw the pilot and co-pilot (Uncle Chester) struggling to control the aircraft as the rest of the crew bailed out. Chester was only 22 years old when he gave his life in service to our country.

Growing up, my dad – Chester’s younger brother, who served in the US Marine Corps during World War II – would tell stories of their childhood, growing up in Chicago’s northwest side. In our household, Uncle Chester’s name was always spoken with a mix of pride and sadness. Among the stories and some photographs, there was always an enduring sense that Chester was a hero. Not because he wanted to be, but because he did what was asked of him, and he never came home.

As someone who never got to hear his laugh, shake his hand, or see him grow old, I often think about the life he didn’t get to live—the family he never got to start, the dreams he had to leave behind. And yet, I also think about the legacy he left. His courage. His sacrifice. His unwavering commitment to something greater than himself.

On this Memorial Day, I remember my uncle not just as a soldier, but as a young man who stepped forward when the world needed him. He fought for freedom, for peace, and for the hope of a better future—even for people like me, whom he would never know.

Uncle Chester, thank you. Your sacrifice means more than I can ever put into words. I carry your memory with me—not just today, but every day.

The Veteran’s Legacy Memorial (VLM) is an online memorial that honors more than 10 million Veterans interred in VA National Cemeteries, private cemeteries and hundreds of other scared locations. Individual Veteran profile pages are populated with military service and cemetery information. Interactive features allow family, friends, and the public to submit Tributes, images, biographical information, and historical documents that help tell the story of their veteran.