Firefighter Larry McCormack, of Chicago's Mt. Greenwood community, received the Chicago Fire Department's Carter Harrison Award in recognition of "an outstanding act of bravery with no regard to self or personal safety, with great individual courage and with dedicated devotion to duty" for rescuing a colleague during a fire and a disabled man in another fire on the same day. Additionally, he received two national honors, the Ray Downey Courage and Valor Award and Firehouse Magazine's Heroism and Community Service Award, for the same acts. | Brett Roseman~Sun-Times Media

Firefighter Larry McCormack, of Chicago's Mt. Greenwood community, received the Chicago Fire Department's Carter Harrison Award in recognition of "an outstanding act of bravery with no regard to self or personal safety, with great individual courage and with dedicated devotion to duty" for rescuing a colleague during a fire and a disabled man in another fire on the same day. Additionally, he received two national honors, the Ray Downey Courage and Valor Award and Firehouse Magazine's Heroism and Community Service Award, for the same acts. | Brett Roseman~Sun-Times Media

Firefighter Larry McCormack, of Chicago's Mt. Greenwood community, received the Chicago Fire Department's Carter Harrison Award in recognition of "an outstanding act of bravery with no regard to self or personal safety, with great individual courage and with dedicated devotion to duty" for rescuing a colleague during a fire and a disabled man in another fire on the same day. Additionally, he received two national honors, the Ray Downey Courage and Valor Award and Firehouse Magazine's Heroism and Community Service Award, for the same acts. | Brett Roseman~Sun-Times Media

Firefighter Larry McCormack, of Chicago's Mt. Greenwood community, received the Chicago Fire Department's Carter Harrison Award in recognition of "an outstanding act of bravery with no regard to self or personal safety, with great individual courage and with dedicated devotion to duty" for rescuing a colleague during a fire and a disabled man in another fire on the same day. Additionally, he received two national honors, the Ray Downey Courage and Valor Award and Firehouse Magazine's Heroism and Community Service Award, for the same acts. He is pictured with his wife Jill, 5-month-old son Jack, and daughters Kiersten, 2, and Madilyn, 4. | Brett Roseman~Sun-Times Media

Firefighter Larry McCormack, of Chicago's Mt. Greenwood community, received the Chicago Fire Department's Carter Harrison Award in recognition of "an outstanding act of bravery with no regard to self or personal safety, with great individual courage and with dedicated devotion to duty" for rescuing a colleague during a fire and a disabled man in another fire on the same day. Additionally, he received two national honors, the Ray Downey Courage and Valor Award and Firehouse Magazine's Heroism and Community Service Award, for the same acts. | Brett Roseman~Sun-Times Media

Firefighter Larry McCormack, of Chicago's Mt. Greenwood community, received the Chicago Fire Department's Carter Harrison Award in recognition of "an outstanding act of bravery with no regard to self or personal safety, with great individual courage and with dedicated devotion to duty" for rescuing a colleague during a fire and a disabled man in another fire on the same day. Additionally, he received two national honors, the Ray Downey Courage and Valor Award and Firehouse Magazine's Heroism and Community Service Award, for the same acts. | Brett Roseman~Sun-Times Media

Firefighter Larry McCormack, of Chicago's Mt. Greenwood community, received the Chicago Fire Department's Carter Harrison Award in recognition of "an outstanding act of bravery with no regard to self or personal safety, with great individual courage and with dedicated devotion to duty" for rescuing a colleague during a fire and a disabled man in another fire on the same day. Additionally, he received two national honors, the Ray Downey Courage and Valor Award (left) and Firehouse Magazine's Heroism and Community Service Award (right), for the same acts. | Brett Roseman~Sun-Times Media

Firefighter Larry McCormack, of Chicago's Mt. Greenwood community, received the Chicago Fire Department's Carter Harrison Award in recognition of "an outstanding act of bravery with no regard to self or personal safety, with great individual courage and with dedicated devotion to duty" for rescuing a colleague during a fire and a disabled man in another fire on the same day. He is pictured with his wife Jill, 5-month-old son Jack, daughters Kiersten, 2, Madilyn, 4, and his mother Sheryn during a ceremony on October 9, 2012.(Photo provided)

Dean Sam Bacino releases his racing pigeons with a message capsule attached to one of them as students look on at Delta Learning Center in Robbins, Illinois, on Thursday, October 18, 2012. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun Times Media

Jon Padron, a senior, writes a note to be placed in a messenger pigeon's capsule as part of a history class demonstration at Delta Learning Center to show how homing pigeons were used to deliver important messages. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun Times Media

World War II era message capsule attached to one of dean Sam Bacino's racing pigeons at Delta Learning Center in Robbins, Illinois, on Thursday, October 18, 2012. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun Times Media

Dean Sam Bacino talks about racing pigeons at Delta Learning Center in Robbins. Bacino had students release messenger pigeons to demonstrate how they were used during war to deliver important messages. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun Times Media

Dean Sam Bacino's racing pigeons at Delta Learning Center in Robbins, Illinois, on Thursday, October 18, 2012. The demonstration is part of a history class. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun Times Media

Jon Padron, a senior, writes a note to be placed in a messenger pigeon's capsule as part of a history class demonstration at Delta Learning Center to show how homing pigeons were used to deliver important messages. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun Times Media

Dean Sam Bacino talks about his racing pigeons at Delta Learning Center in Robbins, Illinois, on Thursday, October 18, 2012. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun Times Media

Sam Bacino holds one of his pigeons with a World War II-era message capsule attached as student Levell Scott, a sopomore, and history teacher Kevin Clough look on at Delta Learning Center in Robbins. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun Times Media

Dean Sam Bacino's racing pigeons at Delta Learning Center in Robbins, Illinois, on Thursday, October 18, 2012. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun Times Media

Delta Learning Center dean Sam Bacino holds one of his pigeons with a World War II-era message capsule attached as student Levell Scott, a sopomore, pets the bird and history teacher Kevin Clough looks on. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun Times Media

Sam Bacino talks about the carrying case soldiers used for homing pigeons in World War II at Delta Learning Center in Robbins, Illinois, on Thursday, October 18, 2012. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun Times Media

Detailed instructions on the inside cover of the World War II carrying case soldiers used for homing pigeons, at Delta Learning Center in Robbins, Illinois, on Thursday, October 18, 2012. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun Times Media

Tyrese Clay (left), a senior; Levell Scott (center), a sophomore; and Greg Murray (right), a senior, look at dean Sam Bacino's racing pigeons at Delta Learning Center in Robbins, Illinois, on Thursday, October 18, 2012. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun Times Media

Dean Sam Bacino holds a World War II message capsule used on homing pigeons, at Delta Learning Center in Robbins, Illinois, on Thursday, October 18, 2012. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun Times Media

History teacher Kevin Clough talks about historic pigeons that were used as messengers during World War II, at Delta Learning Center in Robbins, Illinois, on Thursday, October 18, 2012. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun Times Media

Sam Bacino talks about the carrying case soldiers used for homing pigeons in World War II at Delta Learning Center in Robbins, Illinois, on Thursday, October 18, 2012. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun Times Media