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Biographical information:
Gerald N. Bianchi
Walter Bieder
Fred Bisco
Kenneth Bleau
Joseph W. Brady
Bruce S. Buck
Clarence Colson
Curt Colwell
Raymond R. Curley
Vincent T. DiGaetano
Edmund W. Duckworth
Stan Dzierga
Calvin Ellis
George W.
Eswein
Lawrence J. Fitzsimmons
Richard J. Gallagher
Eusebio Galvan
Herbert Goldberg
Fred W. Haight
Raymond Maurice Holladay
Jesse B. Hamilton
James A. Hillerby
Edward J.
Klimowicz
James Krucas
Robert E. Lee
Kenneth Peterson
John F. Plichta
Louis J. Ramundo
Elmer Frederick Reese
Richard Sims
Joseph W. Slaydon
John M. Spalding
Phil Streczyk
Charles E. Tegtmeyer
Virgil Tilley
Joseph A. Toth
Ed Wozenski
Gerald N. Bianchi, medic, (Pfc.) Bronze Star (3
August 1944, Normandy); Silver Star (19 September 1944, Germany); Purple
Heart (23 January 1945, Belgium). Killed in Germany, 30 March 1945.
_________________
Walter Bieder (Sgt. after D-Day)
Silver Star, Bronze Star, and a medal from the Russians apparently for
not missing a day in combat from Sicily to the war's end. After Streczyk was
evacuated, Colwell took over the platoon. After Colwell was wounded, Bieder
became platoon sergeant. See
Walter Bieder interview
and sound and
picture file.
_________________
Fred Bisco
(Sgt.) attended Lincoln High School in Harrison, New Jersey where he was
captain of the soccer team. He was drafted on August 7, 1941 and
shipped overseas with the 1st Division in July 1942. Bisco fought in North Africa
and Sicily before landing, for his last day on earth, in Normandy.
Photo: Fred Bisco
_________________
Kenneth Bleau (1st Lt.)
Purple Heart with an Oak Leaf Cluster, and the
Distinguished Service Cross, posthumously. Bleau entered the service from Herkimer County, New York (a Malcolm Blue, also a 2nd Lt. and also from
Herkimer County, is on the New York State Honor list as DOI.) Ken Bleau was killed
on 1 August 1944. It’s said that Bleau was shot by his own men during a tragic episode
near St. Lô. He
is buried in the Brittany American Cemetery, St. James, France (Plot D, Row
13, Grave 7)
_________________
Joseph W. Brady (T-Sgt) enlisted in the
Infantry at Fort Devens, Massachusetts in March 1939. In August of 1942 he
went overseas with the First Division, making three major invasions: North
Africa, Sicily and Normandy. Joe was wounded in North Africa on March 28,
1943 and after a month's respite in the hospital he rejoined his outfit,
Company M, a machine gun company of the 16th Infantry, near Bizerte.
During the Sicily campaign T-Sgt. Brady fearlessly proceeded over terrain
swept by intense hostile mortar, machine gun, and small arms fire, selected
advantageous gun positions, located targets of opportunity, and directed
effective machine gun fire on attacking forces. His undaunted courage and
daring initiative enabled his company to distort five enemy machine gun
nests, resulting in 10 of the enemy killed and 50 taken prisoner. For this
he was awarded the Silver Star. On D-Day in Normandy, T-Sgt. Brady led parts
of his platoon successfully through a minefield on Omaha Beach under intense
enemy fire, and returned via the same route to repeat this with the rest of
his men. This earned him the Bronze Star. After recovery from wounds
received July 28, 1944 T-Sgt. Brady was transferred to the 9th Air Force.
Before his discharge on July 2, 1945 he had been awarded the Silver star,
Bronze Star, Presidential Unit Citation, Purple Heart with Cluster, Combat
Infantryman's Badge, ETO Ribbon, Pre-Pearl Harbor Ribbon and the Good
Conduct Medal. Brady passed away on July 13, 1983 in Leominster,
Massachusetts.
_________________
Bruce S. Buck (S/Sgt. after D-Day) Silver
Star, Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster.
Buck was born 21 August 1921. His civilian occupation was listed as "Truck
Driver Light 7-36.260". Buck sent me this note on his entry into the war:
Inducted 9 February 1943 Ft. Warren, Cheyenne, Wyoming. Nine days to report
back. Mitchell to Shelton and back. Active service 18 February 1943. After
all day ride from Gering (via South Torrington) to Cheyenne Wyoming to
Denver. Truck to Fort Logan to active duty. 11 pm before could have anything
to eat. Processed next morning then onto Fort Belvoir, Virginia, via train.
Was to get 8 week basic training as an engineer then 13 weeks cook and baker
school. That was cut short. Got some of each then onto Shenago,
Pennsylvania, then to Norfolk, Virginia. June 6 1943 via USS West Point to
Casablanca, North Africa, June 13 1943. Via 40 and 8 boxcar RR to Oran.
Truck to replacement in Tunisia, North Africa. LCI to Sicily.
See
Bruce Buck interview.
_________________
Clarence Colson (S/Sgt after D-Day)
Distinguished Service Cross. See
Clarence Colson interview
and sound and picture files:
part one (very large file) and
part two.
_________________
Curt Colwell (Sgt.) Curt Colwell (who died in 1996)
took over the platoon after Streczyk was evacuated (Walt Bieder took over as
platoon sergeant when Colwell was wounded). For photo, see column at left.
I spoke to Colwell's sister, Mae about her brother, and this is what she
said:
Coal mining was about the only thing he ever did
do. After he got 18, he worked at Vicco. That's where him and Virginia, his
wife, got married. And that's where they lived when he went into the
service. And they didn't call him. He volunteered to go. As soon it [Pearl
Harbor] happened, he got really tore up about it and he just volunteered and
went in.
Curtis...he was always a real good man. And I
was proud of him. He was really a good brother to me. He was two years older
than I am. And we were together...my two older brothers were more together
and he and I were more together. You know, like in our ages.
My dad was in the First World War and Curtis was
in the Second. And then my younger brother was shot down at Inchon. He's
shot through both knees. And they brought him out. And he was decorated by
Eisenhower, we had his picture. That was French Colwell. And then I lost a
nephew in Vietnam. Stepped on a landmine. So our family has done their part
in these things, but without them, I don't know what would happen to us all.
_________________
Raymond R. Curley (Pfc.)
Silver
Star and Purple Heart with Oak Leaf cluster. He was killed in Germany on 30 March 1945, and is buried at the Netherlands American Cemetary, Margraten,
Netherlands (Plot B, Row 5, Grave 9).
_________________
Vincent T. DiGaetano (Sgt. after
D-Day) Purple and three Oak Leaf Clusters.
See
Vinny DiGaetano interview
and
sound and picture file.
Vinny passed away on October 30, 2006.
_________________
Edmund W. Duckworth (1st Lt.) Silver Star and an Oak Leaf Cluster, the Bronze Star, the Purple
Heart. He entered the service from Pennsylvania. After the 1st
Division returned to England from Sicily, he married an English girl, Audrey Travers
(their wedding was registered in Bridport district during the quarter
starting 1 April 1944). Duckworth was killed on 6 June 1944, and is buried
in the Normandy American Cemetery, St. Laurent-sur-Mer, France (Plot I, Row
19, Grave 12). *Note 1*
_________________
Stan Dzierga (Sgt. after D-Day) Silver Star
and Purple Heart.
Stan Dzierga interview
and picture file.
_________________
Calvin L. Ellis
(T/Sgt. at time of death). Killed November 25, 1944. Awards:
Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters. See
A Letter from Germany and
16-E on D-Day.
_________________
George W. Eswein (Pfc. at time of
death). Killed 23
March 1943. (See page,
Colson's squad)
_________________
Lawrence J. Fitzsimmons (M/Sgt)
Distinguished Service Cross. See article in thumbnail. The "top kick" of E Company, Fitzsimmons was
born 3 May 1914 and died 13 February 1951. He is buried near Richard
Gallagher in the Distinguished Serviceman section of Calverton National
Cemetery on Long Island.
Fitzsimmons gravestone, Calverton National Cemetery, Long Island, New York. (Photo by
Lynn Weingarten)
Fitzsimmons obituary appeared in New York Times on 15
February 1951:
WON D.S.C., DIES A HERO
1st Division Man
Hurt Fatally in Fire Rescue Attempt
M/Sgt. Laurence J.
Fitzsimmons, Sixteenth Infantry, First Division, a winner of the
Distinguished Service Cross, died Feb. 13 of severe burns suffered in
Hokkaido, Japan, while attempted to save another man in a fire in the
enlisted men’s club, according to word received here yesterday. Sergeant Fitzsimmons, who
lived at 4 West 104th Street, was born in New York May 3, 1914,
the son of Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Fitzsimmons. During World War II he served
with the First Division in North Africa, Sicily, Normandy, Belgium, and
Germany. He received the Distinguished Service Cross from General of the
Army Dwight D. Eisenhower for courage and leadership displayed during the
initial landings on the Normandy coast June 6, 1944.
_________________
Richard J. Gallagher (S/Sgt after
D-Day) Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart. Gallagher was born 11 October 1919 and
died 24 November 1944.
Gallagher
gravestone, Calverton National Cemetery, Long Island, New York.
(Photo by
Lynn Weingarten)
Gallagher was dead two days when the New York Times ran the following
article:
BROOKLYN BOY GETS DSC
Richard J. Gallagher Decorated
for Gallantry in France
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 (AP)—The
War Department announced today award of the Distinguished Service Cross to
Pfc. Richard J. Gallagher, 131 Grant Avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y. Three other soldiers from New
York received the Silver Star. They are: Staff Sgt. Peter J. Santi, 68 ½
Pine Street, Binghamton; Pvt. Marco A. Barraco, 202 S. Main Street, Mount
Morris, and Pvt. Dwight M. Wilson, 539 Fulton Street, Waverly. The four, all infantrymen,
were decorated for their part in operations in France in June. Capt. Charles F. Brewster, Jr., of 274 Sherman
Avenue, Teaneck, N.J. has received the Legion of Merit for services at Vella
Lavella, Solomon Islands.
_________________
 Eusebio
Galvan (S/Sgt.) Photo at left (courtesy of Joseph R. Galvan). Silver
Star with OLC, Purple Heart. See Letter
from Germany, Silver Star Citation,
and Military Record.
Galvan served in all the First Division's
campaigns: Algeria-French Morocco, Tunisia, Sicily, Normandy, Northern
France, Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe.
Photo:
Eusebio Galvan
_________________
Herbert Goldberg
(1st Lieutenant) Author of the
16th Inf. Medical Detachment History.
_________________
Fred W. Haight
entered the service in 1941 from Jamestown, New York
with James A. Hillerby and Clarence Colson.
_________________
Jesse B. Hamilton
(Pfc.) Silver Star (listed as 18 May 1944 which may be an error); Silver
Star Oak Leaf Cluster (3 September 1944, Belgium); Purple Heart (26 February
1945, Germany).
_________________
James A. Hillerby
entered the service from Jamestown, New York with Fred W. Haight and
Clarence Colson. "He was captured in Sicily," Colson says.
"They were holding off the Germans pretty good there until they run out of
ammunition and then they got captured. He told me when he got home here."
_________________
Raymond Maurice Holladay
(Staff Sgt.).
Holladay's niece, Yvonne Holladay Silcox, writes:
My uncle, Staff Sgt. Raymond Maurice Holladay was a double recipient of the
Purple Heart during World War II. The only documentation we have on the
first Purple Heart are from newspaper articles after his death. It states,
“Sgt. Holladay was awarded the Purple Heart upon being wounded in North
Africa in 1943.” The other article states, “Sergeant Holladay was a veteran
of the African campaign, having received the Purple Heart as a result of
wounds from shell fragments in that sector. He returned to duty in France
after having been in a military hospital for several months, his family
said.”
He entered the Army at Mobile, Alabama on February 15, 1940. He was killed
at the Battle of St. Lo, Normandy France on July 17, 1944. He was 21 years
old. He was originally buried in the American Cemetery, Blossville,
Normandy, France. He was buried in Row 5, Plot S. His body was moved to
the National Cemetery, Virginia Street, Mobile, Alabama on June 4, 1948. He
is buried in Section 7, Site 2101.
According to the letters, in the spring of 1941, he was in Company E, 16th
Infantry, Fort Devens, Massachusetts (see the
E Company roster). At
Christmas, 1942, I have a letter with an APO address and a comment “N.
Africa”. Others simply stated “still in N Africa.”
I know that he came home when he was wounded. I was a very small child.
There was much distress when he choose to return to the army. I suppose
that is when he went to France.
The letters return marked “deceased” were addressed to S/S Raymond
Holladay, CO. L. 330th Inf., APO 83, New York.
_________________
Edward J Klimowicz (Pfc.) was a
medic in E Co. 2nd Bn. He was born in Mt. Carmel, Pennsylvania and resided
in Levittown, Pennsylvania after the war. His decorations include: Silver
Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, EAME Medal w/5 Bronze Stars and 1 Bronze
Arrowhead, WW2 Victory Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Distinguished Unit
Badge, Medical Badge Army of Occupation Medal (Germany). Edward Klimowicz
died in May 2006.
_________________
James Krucas (2nd Lt., G Company)
Krucas joined G Company in April 1944.
_________________
Robert E. Lee (Pfc.) was killed in the Hürtgen
Forest on 24 November 1944. He was 21 years old, and had won the Silver Star
and Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster. Before entering the service, Lee had
lived at 735 Spruce Street in Camden, New Jersey. He was brought home for
burial and now lies at rest at the Calvary Cemetery, State Highway 70 and
Hampton Road, Cherry Hill, New Jersey. (Thanks to Phil Cohen of Camden for
this information and for his valiant work on behalf of Camden veterans. For
more, visit www.dvrbs.com/CamdenWW2-RobertLee.htm.)
_________________
Kenneth Peterson (S/Sgt). Distinguished
Service Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple with Oak Leaf Cluster. This obituary appeared in New Jersey papers on 28
October 1998:
KENNETH PETERSON OF PASSAIC, FORMER FIRE CHIEF, WWII HERO
Kenneth F. Peterson, a retired Passaic fire chief and the city’s most
decorated World War II veteran, died of natural causes Monday at the New
Jersey State Fireman’s Home in Boonton. He was 78.
Mr. Peterson, who was born in Passaic, joined the Fire Department in
1945 and rose through the ranks to become its chief from 1978 to 1990.
After his retirement, he moved to Clinton.
“Chief Peterson was a dedicated firefighter and an individual who tried
to do the best that he could,” said Imre Karaszegi, who served as business
administrator for the city from 1983 to 1990. “He was chief during the 1985
Labor Day fire. That was probably one of the most trying times in the
city’s history,” Karaszegi said, adding that the fire was something that
took its toll on everyone involved.
The Fire Department’s current chief, Lou Imparato, said he and his men
were very sad to hear of Peterson’s passing. “But he lived a very long and
rewarding life, and I think that his family should be proud of all his
accomplishments,” said Imparato, alluding also to Mr. Peterson’s heroic
military career.
In World War II, Mr. Peterson participated in the Normandy invasion with
the U.S. Army’s First Division and was awarded the Distinguished Service
Cross by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower for his single-handed capture of several
pillboxes on the beachhead.
He later participated in the Battle of the Bulge, where he was wounded;
he recovered and returned to his unit only to be wounded again in Germany.
Staff Sgt. Peterson was also awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and
Purple Heart. In 1951 he was awarded New Jersey’s Distinguished Service
Medal by the Gov. Alfred E. Driscoll.
Mr. Peterson was a member of Local 13 of the Fireman’s Benevolent
Association, the New Jersey Fireman’s Relief Association, and the New Jersey
Exempt Fireman’s Association. He was also past commander of the American
Legion Gerald V. Carroll Post 161, a member of Disabled American Veterans
Post 1, the Catholic War Veterans, the Passaic Oldtimers, and the Passaic
Democratic Club. He was also past commander of the Army-Navy Legion of Valor
National Association.
Mr. Peterson was a parishioner of St. Nicholas R.C. Church, where he
served on the parish council and was a member of the church’s Holy Name
Society and Friendly Sons of St. Patrick.
Contributions may be made to the New Jersey
Fireman’s Home, or to the Parkinson’s Foundation for Research.
_________________
Clarence Colson remembers that
John F. Plichta (Pfc. in October 1941) was
"real nice looking fellow. He was with us in Sicily but killed after that."
_________________
Louis J. Ramundo (Sgt.) was killed on 6
June 1944.
 He
is buried in the Normandy American Cemetary, St. Laurent-sur-Mer, France
(Plot H, Row 12, Grave 8).
Lou Ramundo's headstone, photo by Chuck
Solomon.
This article appeared in the
Philadelphia Post
on 16 August 1944:
4-FRONT VETERAN KILLED IN FRANCE
City Soldier Met Death on D-Day
A Philadelphia infantryman, veteran of four
campaigns, was killed on D-Day. Sergeant Louis J. Ramundo, 24, son of Mr.
and Mrs.Casperino Ramundo, 6814 Paschall Ave., was killed on June 6 in
France. He was inducted in January 1942 and went overseas two years ago. A
veteran of the North African, Sicilian, and Italian campaigns, he received
the Silver Star for gallantry during the Sicilian campaign. He attended West
Philadelphia High School and was employed by the General Electric Company.
An uncle, John Vignola, is a house sergeant at the 12th and Pine Sts. Police
station.
_________________
Elmer Frederick Reese (Sgt. after D-Day)
Silver Star,
Bronze Star and Purple Heart (Reese was wounded on 30 March 1945, in the
same action that killed Ray Curley).
These three short clippings (undated but from spring and summer 1943)
published by his hometown newspaper tell the story of his early service:
Pvt. Fred Reese, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry
Reese, Fourth avenue, College Hill, who left April 1st for Camp George G.
Meade, Md., is now located at Camp Wheeler, Ga. He states in letters home
that the weather is fine there and the temperature 92 degrees.
Pvt. Fred Reese, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry
Reese, has completed his basic training at Camp Wheeler, Ga. He is now home
on a ten-day furlough and will return Friday to Camp Butner, North Carolina.
Pvt. Fred Reese, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry
Reese, 4032 Fourth avenue has arrived safely "somewhere" in England. He has
been in service since April 1, '43.
This clipping is from spring 1945:
Sgt. Fred Reese, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry
Reese, has returned to the Woodrow Wilson hospital Staunton, Va., for
treatment after spending a 30 day convalescent furlough at his home.
Sgt. Reese was wounded March 30, while in action
in Germany. He served with the 16th Infantry of the First Division, First
Army. Reese wears the Combat Infantryman's badge, the bronze star, European
Theatre of Operations ribbon, Purple Heart and Good Conduct Medal, an
arrowhead for D-Day, three battle stars and the Presidential unit citation.
He served overseas 22 months.
Fred Reese
passed away on December 2, 2007.
_________________
Richard Sims (Sgt. after D-Day) Silver Star
and Purple Heart. He was killed on 25 November 1944, and is buried in the
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetary, Henri-Chapelle, Belgium (Plot A, Row 17,
Grave 30).
_________________
Joseph W. Slaydon (S/Sgt)
Silver Star, Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart with
Oak Leaf Cluster. Slaydon was born on 2 August 1907 in Reidsville,
Rockingham Co., North Carolina (and inducted from Caswell Co., NC).
Unmarried at the time of his induction on 2 September 1942, at Fort Bragg,
NC, he was listed as 5' 8" tall, blue eyes, brown hair, 135 lbs. He had
formerly worked as a doffer in a cotton mill. He served as Platoon Guide
(Military Occupational Specialty #745), combat infantryman, with eleven
months nine days service in the ETO. He sailed for Europe on 5 March 1943,
arriving on 19 March 1943, and departed on 13 February 1945, arriving back
in the United States on 19 February 1945. Slaydon fought in the Sicily and
Normandy Campaigns, was twice wounded (6 June 1944 and 20 November 1944).
Slaydon was discharged on 15 December 1944 "For the Convenience of the
Government" with a total of two years five months service. His early
discharge may well have been the result of his second wound. He died in
October of 1969, probably in Spray, Rockingham Co., North
Carolina.
*Note 2 *
_________________
John M. Spalding (2nd Lt. on D-Day,
promoted to 1st Lt. later). Distinguished Service Cross and Purple Heart. He
died on 6 November 1959 and is buried in Owensboro, Kentucky. See
Spalding D-Day
narrative,
medical
report,
John Spalding homecoming
and
picture file.
_________________
Phil Streczyk (T/Sgt.) Distinguished Service
Cross, British Military Medal, Silver Star with two Oak Leaf Clusters,
Purple Heart. For more, see see
Phil Streczyk homecoming
and picture file.
The undated article below is from the Streczyk family scrapbook.
East Brunswick Soldier
Accumulates Decorations
Sergeant Phillip Streczyk, East Brunswick
Township infantryman is just about one of the most decorated men from
Middlesex County in the European war area and if his past exploits may be
used as a yardstick for the fuss he raises with the Nazis in the future, his
chest will be weighed down when he returns home.
Here’s the list:
The Expert Infantryman’s Badge, the Good
Conduct ribbon, the British Military Medal for Gallantry, the Silver Star,
an Oak Leaf cluster to add to the Silver Star, and lately the coveted
Distinguished Service Cross.
The Silver Star was first awarded to Sergeant
Streczyk for his courage during operations in the Sicilian invasion and
later, in the Italian campaign, he won a similar award in the form of the
Oak Leaf cluster to the original medal.
His British Military Medal, presented to him
personally by General Sir Bernard Montgomery was awarded for “gallantry on
D-Day in clearing enemy trenches” as Allied assault troops stormed inland
from beachheads in Normandy. His sister, Mrs. Sophie Semchenko, RFD No. 1,
New Brunswick, has among her possessions the front page of a London
newspaper showing a picture of General Montgomery pinning the medal on her
brother’s uniform.
Sergeant Streczyk, 25 years old, entered service
in September 1941 and went overseas in June 1942. His brother, John, is with
the Seabees on Marshall Islands and his nephew, Stanley Semchenko, is with
an infantry outfit at Camp Blanding, Fla.
_________________
Charles E. Tegtmeyer (Major)
Commanding officer of the 16th Infantry Medical Detachment (and author of
the
Medical Detachment Comments and Criticisms on Operation Neptune). He was
awarded the DSC for heroism on D-Day.
_________________
Virgil Tilley (Pfc.)
was born 29 September 1923. Notice of his death appeared in the
Chattanooga Times
on 17 November 1986.
_________________
Joseph A. Toth
was from Scranton, Pennsylvania. He entered the service in September 1940
and joined the First Division at Fort Deven. He was promoted to Staff
Sergeant in North Africa, and later to Tech. Sergeant. Toth was awarded the
Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster. See homecoming and
Silver Star citation.
_________________
Ed Wozenski (Captain on D-Day, Brigadier
General after Korea). Distinguished Service Cross
with Oak Leaf Cluster, Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star. See
Ed Wozenski interview
and sound and picture file.
Wozenski (born 29 July 1915, died 26 July 1987) was Regular
Army. He left the States as a lieutenant in E Company and was promoted to
captain in North Africa (according to
History of
Company "E", the previous captain had been taken prisoner at El Guettar
during "the famous bayonet charge to take Hill
606".) Wozenski won his first Silver Star in the drive to Bizerte.
Ed Wozenski was (and is) beloved by his men. A clue as to why can be found
in a handwritten note on one of his
citations.
At the bottom of the page, Wozenski wrote (perhaps to a family member):
"Motto--don't believe all that you read. Love, Ed." These are three of
Wozenski's medal citations (information kindly
provided by Rene C. Provost, Col. (Ret) AUS, Military Administrative
Officer):
10 August 1943 [Silver Star, Oak Leaf
Cluster]
EDWARD F. WOZENSKI, 0351415, CAPTAIN (then FIRST LIEUTENANT), Infantry. For
gallantry in action. Captain Wozenski organized and led a co-ordinated
attack on a strategic enemy position. His brilliant leadership and keen
tactical judgment insured the success of the operation.
15 October 1943 [Distinguished Service Cross]
EDWARD F. WOZENSKI, 0-351415, Captain, 16th Infantry, for extraordinary
heroism in action on 11 July 1943 in the Gela-Niscemi sector, Sicily.
Captain Wozenski, with about fifty men and officers, was holding a vital
hill when the enemy counterattacked with about ten tanks and approximately a
battalion of infantry. The tanks surrounded the hill firing at point blank
range when Captain Wozenski seized a rocket gun and, while constantly
exposed to tank, artillery, machine gun and small arms fire, moved from
point to point firing on the tanks and encouraging and directing his men to
do likewise. He personally knocked out two tanks, one of them by firing into
its rear after it had passed over his foxhole. Captain Wozenski's superbly
heroic, calm determined conduct inspired his men to resist in an apparently
hopeless situation and was a prime factor in the defeat of the enemy's
counterattack.
By command of
Lieutenant General PATTON
Award of Oak Leaf Cluster to Distinguished
Service Cross [for D-Day]
Captain Edward F. Wozenski, 0351415, 16th Infantry, United States Army. For
extraordinary heroism in action against the enemy on 6 June 1944, in France.
On D-Day, Captain Wozenski's company suffered numerous casualties in
reaching the fire-swept invasion beach. Boldly, he moved along the beach, at
the risk of his life, to reorganize his battered troops. The reorganization
completed, he courageously led his men through heavy machine gun and small
arms fire across the beach and toward an enemy dominated ridge. Demoralizing
fire from a powerful installation on the ridge threatened to stop the
attack. Ordering his men to deploy to the flanks of the enemy position,
Captain Wozenski, with great valor, advanced alone to within 100 yards of
the emplacement. With cool and calm efficiency, he engaged the fortification
single handedly with rifle fire to divert attention of the enemy from the
flanking movement. Upon observing this valiant soldier, the enemy directed
the fire of its machine guns on him but Captain Wozenski, with complete
disregard for his own safety, continued the harassing fire until his men
reached their positions safely. His inspired troops charged the strongpoint
vigorously and completely destroyed it, inflicting numerous casualties upon
the enemy. By his superb leadership and fearless courage, Captain Wozenski
exemplified the highest traditions of the Armed Forces.
COURTNEY H. HODGES
Lieutenant General, U.S. Army, Commanding
_________________
NOTES
* 1 *
Information provided by Peter John, Archival Research, Bristol,
England.
[Return]
* 2 * Information provided by LTC Sion H. Harrington III,
USAR (Ret.), Military Collection Archivist & Coordinator, Military
Collection Project, North Carolina Division of Archives and History. [Return]
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