A statue honoring a World War II glider pilot who participated in the D-Day invasion will be erected after the Niles Village Board gave approval to commission it at its Feb. 27 meeting.
According to Mitch Johnson, Village of Niles communication and multimedia coordinator, the sculpture, named “High Flight” by Gwen Yen Chiu, will be unveiled in the spring of 2025. It will honor, but not depict, Matthew Wojtaszek Sr., a glider pilot who moved to Niles after World War II, joined local veterans organizations, became friendly with Mayor George Alpogianis and has his story chronicled in the Veterans History Project at the Niles-Maine District Library.
“High Flight” is designed as a stainless steel, 10-foot tall abstract sculpture of a WACO CG-4A glider, the most widely used U.S. troop/cargo glider of World War II, according to the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
The village’s Public Arts and Culture Advisory Council wanted a sculpture in remembrance of Wojtaszek, who served in the U.S. Army, 82nd Airborne Division and flew a glider during the war, according to Johnson.
“I’m really excited to be making a sculpture to honor someone who fought for the country,” Chiu told Pioneer Press/Chicago Tribune. “This WACO CG-4A glider was known as the ‘plywood coffin,’ and it was made of wood and cloth… I really wanted to make a sculpture that defied that kind of, that nature, of (the glider) coming downwards, and I really wanted to pick it back upwards with a more uplifting spirit and something to look forward to and honor for the future as well.”
Chiu said the sculpture would be made by cutting shapes out of stainless steel sheets and hammering and heating them to be woven together, almost like a seamstress making clothes. She said the sculpture would be able to last a long time outside with the proper care. “It will definitely outlive both of us and hopefully many more generations,” she said.
Chiu said the sculpture got its name from a poem by John Gillespie Magee Jr., a WW II veteran. “(Magee) writes this really beautiful poem about his joy, and kind of his fascination and almost childlike joy of flying through the air. I thought that was such a wonderful — It was a really great poem to reference back to when I was designing the sculpture.”
Johnson said Wojtaszek participated in the glider invasions of Normandy and Nijmegen, Holland. He was awarded two Bronze Stars in his Glider Wings and the European-African-Middle Eastern Service Ribbon with six bronze stars. After service, Wojtaszek joined the U.S. Post Office and retired after a 44-year career. He married and raised four children in Niles. He died at age 97 in 2019, Johnson said.
At a Niles Village Board meeting in April 2019, Alpogianis read a proclamation in honor of Wojtaszek’s life. Alpogianis said when he met Wojtaszek for the first time at one of his restaurants, he was able to make a connection with Wojtaszek because his (Alpogianis’) great uncle served in the same Army division as Wojtaszek. Alpogianis said the two had a close friendship and he received personal gifts from Wojtaszek.
Johnson said Alpogianis wanted to bring public art to Niles and suggested the sculpture be in honor of Wojtaszek and World War II.
According to Johnson, the village contracted with an art consultant.
“The village contracted with Sandro, Inc. for $15,000 to survey the town and identify locations for public art, to assist in developing those locations as art destinations and to recruit and vet artist proposals based on direction of the mayor and Arts Council,” Johnson wrote in an email, adding the village has renewed the contract to continue the process.
Sandro Inc. vetted artists’ proposals that would honor World War II Veterans and the role of the WACO glider during the war. He said the village received four proposals for a sculpture at Golf Mill Park but went with Chiu’s design because of her price, design and reputation as an artist. The village agreed to pay Chiu $60,000 for the sculpture.
Johnson said the Arts and Culture Council came to a consensus and recommended “High Point” to the mayor. He said with the mayor’s support the proposal was brought to the Village Board, who made the final decision. He said the General Government/I.T. Committee also gave its recommendation of the sculpture.
Johnson said the sculpture is on the west portion of Golf Mill Park, which is owned by the village. “We have long-term plans for more artwork at Golf Mill Park and will reach out to the Park District to help develop art opportunities down the road,” he said.
Johnson said the village would begin incorporating more events into Golf Mill Park over the summer, including car shows, festivals, art fairs, and concerts. The village’s annual winter festival, Holly Jolly, will also move to the park.
