July 4, 1956 dawned on the city like any other Independence Day had in years past, and everything was shaping up to be another day filled with parades, grilling, and Americana. But then a battalion of 1,500 Marines swarmed the beachhead at Montrose Avenue, making their way onshore while facing no resistance.
But rest assured, this was no hostile invasion. It was instead a military demonstration which had been thrown together to serve as part of the celebration commemorating the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway(a celebration that would culminate two days later with a visit from Queen Elizabeth II to the city.) This marked the first Navy units to sail on the Great Lakes in 142 years, an occasion that was made possible by Canada and the U.S. waiving relevant portions of an 1817 treaty on the matter. The preparations started a few days earlier, when the Marines rolled into town the night before and experienced some good old fashioned Chicago-style hospitality.
Then, on the actual day of the landing exercise, hundreds of thousands of people crowded all of the city's beaches in order to catch a glimpse of the impending military activity. During the actual invasion, the forces sailed up to the beach head, and then released numerous different volleys of attacks upon the city. Ultimately, Chicago suffered no ill affects other than the bruised ear drums of citizens who might not have been ready for the booming of artillery until the ships came into town.
Author's Note: the big similarity between this story and the tale of Sylvester Washington comes from the other story being carried by the Chicago Tribune, which is a great resource for Chicago news.
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