USA > Indiana > Lake County > History Of Veterans Of Foreign Wars (1944) > Part 28
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Page Two Hundred and Seventy-one
Sends New Year Greetings to Daddy' Overseas
Hammond Times, December 31, 1943
This picture is arriving "somewhere in the South Pacific" just about now to bring New Year cheer to the baby's father, Lt. Frank Henry Burrow, who left for overseas duty with the U. S. army forces early this fall. Mrs. Burrow, the former Betty Elstun, and Baby Susan, sat for the photographer when Susan,
who was born Nov. 14, was but three weeks old, so that the picture would arrive overseas as a holiday greeting for the soldier "daddy." At the Wesley M. Elstun home, Forest avenue, where Susan and her mother are residing with the latters parents for the duration, Mr. El- stun's birthday today is especially joyous be- cause they are there.
NEW HAMMOND CITY COUNCIL HEAD
Ald. William Meisel
Hammond Times, January 11, 1944
Forceful William M. Meisel, second district councilman, was unanimously elected 1944 president of the Hammond common council last night. He succeeds Ald. Hugh D. Studa- baker, Jr., who was named to fill the unex- pired term of Roy Sweitzer, now in the army. Meisel, currently serving his second four-year term on the council, was vice president in 1943. Ald. William Watts was elected vice president last night, becoming the first Re- publican to hold office in the city council since the Democrats came in power in 1935-
He is a member of the Larsen's Post.
Page Two Hundred and Seventy-two
WINGS ON MATT'S TUNIC
P. E. Matt
Hammond Times, January 14, 1944
He used to pilot racing cars and trucks as a civilian; now he pilots single-engine fighter planes. That's Paul E. Matt, son of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Matt, 6516 Calumet avenue, Hammond.
He recently graduated from air school at Spence field, Moultrie, Ga., and had his silver wings pinned on his blouse, while at the same time receiving a second lieutenant's commis- sion.
Lt. Matt, a Hammond high graduate, was in the largest group ever to graduate from Spence field. The graduates will be assigned to combat duty over enemy territory very soon.
I. E.
THEY ARE IN THE NAVY NOW
LES NAVY
U.S. NAVY
Christopherson Wood
Hammond Times, January 17, 1944
These lads will help introduce with music
the fourth war bond drive in Hammond to- morrow night.
Raymond Wood (right), son of Mr. and Mrs. O. Wood of 18015 Lorenz avenue, Lan- sing, is a musician first class in the navy and well known to Hammondites as a former dance band leader. He and Bob Christopher- son, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Christopherson of 1839 Pennsylvania avenue, Whiting, third class musician, will be among the 75 blue- jacket musicians and entertainers scheduled to do their stuff before a Calumet region audience.
Wood is a real veteran. He has been in the navy for five years and is one of the survivors of the U. S. aircraft carrier Lexington. He is a Hammond technical high school graduate. Right now he is a member of Cmdr. Eddie Peabody's band.
Christopherson, a member of the Great Lakes broadcasting band, learned his music at Whiting high school and the University of Kentucky. He plays a violin.
BIANCCARDI UPPED TO P-O
P. Biancardi
Hammond Times, January 19, 1944
Pat Biancardi is now a second class petty officer, advanced from a fireman first class. Pat, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Biancardi, 4835 Olcott avenue, East Chicago, is serving overseas.
Roosevelt high is his alma mater, starring in basketball and cross country. Socony-Vacuum oil was his employer up to a year ago when he entered the navy.
P/O Biancardi serves on a destroyer and works with the Diesel engine. He was home for only four days after Thanksgiving since enlisting. A brother, stationed at Salina, Kan., is a corporal in the army.
Page Two Hundred and Seventy-three
SON TELLS OF TARAWA
Pfc. Thos. Long
Hammond Times, January 14, 1944
Still another Calumet area survivor of the bitter and bloody battle for the "mile of hell" that was Tarawa is Marine Pfc. Thomas S. Long, 22-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. T. A. Long, 6534 Hohman avenue, Hammond.
The Longs received word recently that he has been wounded in action and believe he now is recuperating at a rest camp on one of the south Pacific islands. They also received a letter from him, recounting some details of the battle.
"Well, I finally got to see a little action," Pfc. Long wrote. "And I'm thankful to say I came out of it alive and without a scratch. If anyone should ask you if I have any Japs to my credit, you can say yes. How many I couldn't say, but it was plenty. At times our machine guns were too close to them for comfort."
Pfc. Long, who entered service in Novem- ber, 1942, and received his basic training in California, met another marine who was re- cuperating at the rest camp after Tarawa. He is Marine Pfc. Sam Postlewaite, son of Sam Postlewaite, son of Sam Postlewaite, advertis- ing manager of The Hammond Times. The two veterans of the costliest battle in the history of the marine corps saw a show to- gether and roamed the town near which the rest camp is located.
Before Tarawa, Pfc. Long also saw service in Australia and, his family believes, may have participated in other Gilbert island fighting.
LIKES THE TIMES
S. Martine Hammond Times, January 14, 1944
No matter where the soldier hails from, T4/Gr. Shirley "Bud" L. Martine writes, from his base in the south Pacific, the men at the station read the Hammond Times. The soldier gets the paper delivered and he passes the news around.
Martine, who was employed as a tank tester at Pullman-Standard before entering the serv- ice early in 1942, wrote his sister, Mrs. Carrie Treichel, 5421 Price place, Hammond, that army life is great and his friends going into service need only get by basic training before they begin to appreciate army life.
He recalled the past holidays and remem- bered that in his first year of service he spent Thanksgiving in California and Christmas and New Year's day "across the water." In 1943, he spent Thanksgiving aboard a boat and the next two holidays "somewhere in the south Pacific." Next year, 1944, he said "let's spend all three days at home."
WHITING, LOWELL SOLDIERS WOUNDED
Hammond Times, January 16, 1944
Next of kin of two area soldiers were ad- vised this week the soldiers have been wounded in action in the Mediterranean war area.
They are Pfc. Asuncion T. Garcia, husband of Mrs. Irene R. Garcia of Whiting, and Pfc. Delbert Hayden, son of Mrs. Bertha Hayden of Lowell.
This latest casualty list contained the names of 437 soldiers reported to be wounded in fighting.
Page Two Hundred and Seventy-four
DECORATED IN NORTH AFRICA
Hammond Airman Honored by Doolittle
Hammond Times, January 5, 1944
When Staff Sgt. John Onyszczak drops bombs on the Nazis he drops 'em in a way Maj. Gen. James Doolittle, quite a dropper himself, likes to see them dropped. That's why the sergeant, son of Mr. and Mrs. Onyszczak, of 6127 Columbia avenue, Hammond, is be- ing decorated in North Africa after a recent flight. He has just received the air medal, the
Distinguished Flying Cross and a warm hand- shake from the general-
The sergeant recently shot down several enemy planes in raids over Augsberg, Ger- many and Sofia, Bulgaria. He is now serving in Italy and has been overseas for the past year. Before the war he was employed by the Pullman-Standard company in Hammond.
TWO AREA SOLDIERS LISTED AS WOUNDED
Hammond Times, January 19, 1944
Two more area soldiers have been reported wounded in action in the European theater of war in latest war department casualty reports, listing a total of 332 names.
They are Sgt. Albert L. Furman, son of Mrs. Caroline Furman, 4943 Indianapolis boule- vard, East Chicago, and Pfc. David B. Yatso, son of Mrs. Mary Yatso of Gary.
GRIFFITH SOLDIERS MEET
Hammond Times, January 19, 1944
Word has been received that there has been a happy meeting of Sgt. John W. Govert and Cpl. Jerrold Dixon at a Red Cross center lo- cated somewhere in England. Sgt. Govert is known to many friends as "Bud" and Cpl. Dixon as "Jerry."
Page Two Hundred and Seventy-five
JUST DIDN'T HAVE TIME
Albert Miller
Hammond Times, January 18, 1944
What with fighting, getting wounded, ly- ing in hospital and being shifted about here and there in a war zone, a fellow doesn't have much time to think about little things like military decorations.
That is why Mr. and Mrs. Al Miller, of 537 Harison avenue, Calumet City, didn't receive their son's Order of the Purple Heart until yesterday.
Pfc. Al Miller of Co. B, 163rd U. S. in- fantry explained in his letter home that al- though he was wounded on New Guinea in January, 1943 and his merit recognized at the time, he couldn't find time to send the medal until recently. Miller was flown back to Australia after his New Guinea fighting and spent five months in a hospital there. He is okeh now and sends regards to his many Calu- met area friends. Miller, 30, worked at Gold- blatt Bros., in Hammond before his enlist- ment in October, 1941.
STARTS NEW YEAR RIGHT
Hammond Times, January 14, 1944
The navy gave Adam Merchel a New Year's gift by promoting him to petty officer 1/c. Adam is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Merchel, 527 Narva place, East Chicago.
PO 1/c Merchel is a Roosevelt high school graduate and enlisted in the navy July 16, 1942. He trained as a "boot" and also received his specialist courses at Great Lakes, from where he graduated as machinist's mate 2/c in January, 1943, and has served actively ever since.
Adam saw action in the Atlantic, the Med- iterranean, and took part in the Sicilian and Salerno invasion. It was upon returning to his
A. Merchel
New York base recently that he was notified of his promotion.
Before doffing civvies, he was an employe in the roll shop at Continental Roll and Steel foundry.
TARAWA VET LISTED WOUNDED IN ACTION
Pfc. D. Orr Hammond Times, January 18, 1944
Pfc. Daniel P. Orr, a Hammond marine, who came through the battle of Tarawa atoll without injury has been wounded in another action, the navy department has notified his wife, Jean, 430 Lewis street. Orr's parents are Mr. and Mrs. Perry Orr, 1017 Eaton street, Hammond.
Writing of the battle for the "Mile of Hell," Tarawa Atoll, Orr said, "I have learned what war is now. I think the Japs want us to remember Dec. 7th - well, now they can remember Tarawa."
The marine hero is recuperating on a south Pacific island and he told of meeting other Hamond marines, among them Sam Postle- waite, Bill Fields and Thomas Long, also vet- erans of the battle.
Page Two Hundred and Seventy-six
Baby Has First Christmas
Hammond Times, December 24, 1943
Wise as she is, little Tina Tinkham, who will be 11-months-old Christmas day, knows that there is something lacking around her house since her "daddy," Joseph E. Tinkham, local attorney, left for the army a few weeks ago. Pvt. Tinkham is taking his basic training at Fort Custer, Mich. Like so many other
mothers whose husbands are away in service, Mrs. Tinkham, pictured with her rosy- cheeked, dark-eyed baby, is making the youngster's Christmas as bright and cheery as possible at their home in Park place, with a view to future Christmases when the family will be together again.
Page Two Hundred and Seventy-seven
Hammond Mother Receives Letters About Dead Son
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
13 September, 1943.
Mrs. Dollie Fetterhoff 7235 Missouri Street Hessville, Indiana.
My dear Mrs. Fetterhoff:
I know that nothing I can say will lessen the sorrow that must be yours in the death of Private Eugene Snyder, but I feel there may be consolation in your knowing that the mem- bers of this Regiment are proud to have been associated with such a gallant man. He was unselfish in his devotion to God and Country at all times.
Unfaltering as he was in the face of severe enemy fire, his gallantry contributed greatly to the success of the mission in which he lost his life.
I hope you will find solace also in the knowl- edge that he was buried with full religious and military honors. His comrades feel that some part of them lies with him beneath the Cross, that we will live with him in eternity.
Because of my personal interest in Eugene, I was able to have a photographer take a pic- ture of the grave and forward it to you here- with.
May God bless you.
(Signed) PAUL J. REDMLND, O.P. Chaplain, First Marine Raider Regiment.
Staff, Amphibious Training Command, c/o Fleet Post-office, San Diego, California. October 27, 1943
Dear Mrs. Fetterhoff:
I hope you will not mind my writing to you after such a long time to express my sympathy for the loss of your splendid brother, Eugene Snyder.
It was my privilege to serve as his com- manding officer until just a few weeks before the final action. I knew him, as I did most of the men in the Battalion, personally and as my friend. It was with a real sense of loss that I learned of the casualties.
I have been trying to learn the details of the engagement and should information reach me which has not previously been sent to you by the Marine Corps I will again communica- tion with you.
In the meantime, please accept this expres- sion of my sympathy for you and his family.
Very truly ours,
(Signed) JAMES ROOSEVELT, Lt. Col. James Roosevelt, USMC
Mrs. Dollie Fetterhoff, 7235 Missouri Avenue, Hammond, Indiana.
P.S. The enclosed pictures of the services held by the Battalion Chaplin have just been received. Gene is buried, I believe, at Viru Harbor on the southeast coast of New Georgia.
Page Two Hundred and Seventy-eight
Loses Eye in Tarawa Battle
Pfc. Frank Stefko
Hammond Times, December 30, 1943 By Richard Cecil
In his left eye-socket is a glass eye - on his chest is the Purple Heart as token of its loss - and in his heart is a great thankfulness that he is alive - for Tarawa really was a "mile of hell."
"And," says Marine Pfc. Frank Stefko, 23- year-old hero of the bloodiest battle in the 168 years of marine corps history, "I'm damned lucky to have one eye left, after that fight."
Stefko, son of Mrs. Susan Stefko, 1114 Ken- wood avenue, is Hammond's first returning veteran of the Tarawa massacre, in which the
marines wrested control of the island atoll from the Japs but at a high price in blood. He arrived home the day before Christmas on a medical furlough.
Contrary to what some people might ex- pect, Pfc· Stefko harbors no bitterness in his soul for the loss of his eye. He gave it - as others gave their life - in the highest tradi- tion of the marine corps while performing his duty in meritorious manner.
"It really was a 'mile of hell,' though," the wounded veteran declared. "Out of 350 men who landed with me in my company, only 20 reached the beach. The rest the Japs either killed with mortar shells or machine-gunned to death."
Stefko was wounded after he had success- fully reached the beach, crawled and clipped his way through barbed wire entanglements, hurdled concrete obstacles and dived into Jap- made trenches.
"We were continuing our advance behind on the island when Japs in one of the under- ground pillboxes hurled sticks of dynamite at one of our two tanks. The dynamite exploded and the detonator-cap bounced off the tank against a tree and into my eye."
All of the Japs he saw and shot were six feet tall and heavily built, Stefko said. They had installed their own brothel on the island and the women fled with the retreating Japs, leav- ing behind them evidence of their presence.
The Hammond marine's eye was removed on shipboard en route back to San Diego, where he docked Dec. 13. He was treated in the naval hospital there for several weeks and finally given a rest leave with orders to report back to San Diego Jan. 27. Stefko expects to be re-assigned either to limited service or given an honorable discharge.
The only other Calumet area youth he met while on Tarawa was Nick Soley, whose whereabouts he does not know at present. Many of the less seriously wounded veterans were dropped off at Pearl Harbor for treat- ment·
Continued on next page
Page Two Hundred and Seventy-nine
Discussing the battle, Stefko said the heavy loss of life resulted when the marines were forced to jump from landing barges 800 yards from the beach and wade through the coral- bottom seashore while the Japs peppered away at them with all types of guns.
"Our officers tried to get those landing barges in closer but it just wasn't possible," Stefko said. "The water was shallow in spots and the barges wouldn't pass over them. When a barge got snagged on the bottom it presented a perfect target for mortar fire from the Japs. A lot of our boys died without even getting off the barges."
Jap treachery was in evidence throughout the landings and in island warfare, the Ham- mond lad said. As a blind for machine guns, the Japs installed an innocent-looking tramp steamer near the beach and machine-gunned marines to death after they had passed the death-trap, mowing them down from behind.
On the island they would imitate marines calling for help and when unsuspecting Americans responded, they would rise out of underground installations and shoot them.
Stefko, former basketball star at Hammond high school who entered service 20 months ago brought back as souvenirs a 10-yen Jap money sheet worth about $5 in U.S. currency but which would bring $200 or more from trophy-hunters in Pearl Harbor. A Jap rifle would bring $600 there, Stefko said.
A brother, Pvt. John Stefko, 20, now is sta- tioned with the army in Arkansas and another brother, George, 18, is attending Toledo, O., university, where he also is starring on the varsity basketball team.
CHERISHED LETTER ARRIVES
Hammond Times, January 19, 1944
For two months, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Vessels of 851 State street, Hammond, won- dered how their son, Thomas W. Vessels, Jr., was getting along. Then Saturday, along came a letter from England announcing he had been promoted to corporal. He said he had been
T. Vessels
stationed in England for the past four months. Tom wants to be remembered to his old class- mates at Hammond high school, where he was a senior when inducted a year ago. His address is ASN 35584948, 3013 Q. M. Btry., Co. A. Mobile Special, APO 526, c/o Postmaster, New York.
PAYER BOYS MEET IN CALIFORNIA
J. Payer
Hammond Times, January 16, 1944
Just before Pvt. James Payer left for over- seas, he met his brother, S/Sgt. Joseph J. Payer, who had been in Panama for four years. Latter has now transferred to Camp Haan, Calif., in which state the meeting took place.
The boys had not seen each other in two years. They are the sons of Mr. and Mrs. James Payer, 4245 Northcote avenue, East Chicago.
Pvt. James is well-known around Roosevelt high school. He played quarterback on the Rough Riders football team, before joining the marines at San Diego, Calif. He wants his friends to write him all the sports news at school. Address: Pvt. James Payer, USMC, 4th Raider Bn., Co., c/o FPO, San Francisco, Calif.
Page Two Hundred and Eighty
WAR "NO GAME" HAMMOND VETER AN DECLARES
Say Japs Play For Keeps Hammond Times, January 2, 1944
Capt. Victor H. Gralak, extreme right, speaks from a host of experiences in south Pacific warfare when he says: "These Japs aren't playing games - they're playing for keeps." He recounted some of his many ad- ventures to his father, Walter A. Gralak, 140 - 155th place, Calumet City, and twin brothers, Robert J., and Walter A., Jr., when he returned home recently on furlough.
Capt. Gralak, who recently was sent back to this country for an operation in which a bullet wound in his spine was patched by grafting a piece of bone from his right leg, has served on Guadalcanal, New Zealand, New Guinea and other south Pacific islands. He was
in command of a machine gun company, hav- ing been a member of the enlisted reserves who was called to active duty in March, 1941.
The captain said the Indian type of fighting is much in evidence in the south Pacific area. He declared the Japs use to mean advantage the ruse of calling loudly for a corpsman with a stretcher and then rising from the ground and shooting him down when he responds.
The returned veteran's father also is a war veteran, having served overseas 14 months with the 342nd infantry regiment in World war I. Walter A., Jr., now is serving with the 531st ack-ack company stationed at Fort Devens, Mass.
Page Two Hundred and Eighty-one
BLACKMAN BOYS PROMOTED
F. Blackman
Hammond Times, February 2, 1944
Uncle Sam gave rank advancements to two Blackman boys this past Christmas time. Fred was promoted to corporal and Charles went up to sergeant. They are the sons of the late Mr. and Mrs. Charles Blackman and have lived their entire lives in Hammond.
Cpl. Fred has now been transferred to Ore- gon from Ephrata, Wash., air base. He went to Tech, starred on the track team there, and
C. Blackman
was employed by the Pullman-Standard foun- dry before entering the air force command a year ago. He is engaged to Miss Mary Alice Fuller of Sibley street, Hammond.
Sgt. Charles Blackman has been stationed in Brazil for 14 months as air corps mechanic. Cities Service was his former place of employ- ment before enlisting in October, 1942. He writes his sisters and brothers here that he would give anything to be able to take an
· afternoon walk down "good old Hohman ave- nue," even though they have been royally en- tertained by visiting actors and actresses. He doubts if his friends would recognize him since he has become as sun-darkened as the South American natives.
There is another Blackman lad, Pfc. Clar- ence, stationed at Camp Pinedale, Fresno, Calif., for nine months of the full year he has been in service. His wife, the former Lillian Papp, is with him, in an apartment in Fresno. They were able to see relatives and friends while on an emergency furlough over the holi- days. Clarence used to be connected with the Shore Line bus company and is a former Hammond Tech student.
BROTHERS MEET IN ENGLAND
Hammond Times, February 2, 1944
Surprise is hardly the word to describe the emotion felt by Sgt. Frank C. Meinzer, Jr., when resting on a cot somewhere in England and hearing a familiar voice ask "Remember me?"
It was his brother, Sgt. Arthur D. Meinzer. Both boys are the sons of Frank C. Meinzer, Sr., 4729 Calumet avenue, Hammond.
Arthur, who served overseas for over a year with the medical corps in North Africa, had been in England a couple of months when he heard that his brother's division was stationed at a nearby camp. As soon as possible he rushed to visit Frank, whom he hadn't seen for over a year and a half-
F. Meinzer
A. Meinzer
Page Two Hundred and Eighty-two
WAR CAPTIVE'S MOTHER RECEIVES MEDAL
Hammond Flier is Honored
Hammond Times, December 26, 1943
While a brother serving in the navy looked on, Mrs. Joseph S. Horvath, 1164 Summer street, Hammond, was presented with the United States air medal with three oak leaf clusters honoring her son, Staff Sgt. Robert J., who is a prisoner of war in Germany, yes- terday as a feature of a program at the Gary
sheet and tin mill of the Carnegie-Illinois Steel corporation. In the ceremonies 90 plant guards received the superior plant guard guidon and individual accomplishment medals from the army's sixth service command. Above Lt. H. M. Sovrensky, army air corps, presents the medal to Mrs. Horvath with her son, John, and husband looking on.
RUCINSKI IS CARGO PILOT
A. Rucinski Hammond Times, February 2, 1944 Hopping hither and yon over the blue but
far from Pacific, Lt. Albert Rucinski is at the controls of a marine cargo plane, hauling vital materials of war. He is the son of Anthony Rucinski, 1302 Pulaski place, East Chicago-
Lt. Rucinski took his training at Glenview, Ill., and Pensacola, Fla. Before joining the marines, he went to Indiana university where he played on the varsity football squad.
Some of the Pacific island landing strips are so narrow, Rucinski says, that you either land on the strip or in the ocean. So far the East Chicago lieutenant hasn't got his feet wet.
Page Two Hundred and Eighty-three
WHAT COMES AFTER TRILLION?
- Editorial -
Hamond Times, Jan. 14, 1944
(Inter-Office Communication)
Managing Editor:
For years now there has reposed beneath the glass covering of your desk the following typewritten aphorism:
"A nation which is rich, vain and at the same time unprepared, provokes and hastens its own ruin . . . A nation can become so rich that its very wealth will bankrupt it in a war with a country poor but frugal and warlike."
Now that the president asks another 100 billion dollars to bring the total estimate of he cost of he war to 397 billion dollars we suggest you discard the axiom. It haunts us. It doesn't fit in with a public debt of a third of a trillion dollars. It reads like an epitaph.
And by the way, what comes after trillion? Zillion? We were never very good at arith- metic.
An estimated federal debt of 397 billion dollars at 2 per cent will bear interest approxi- mating eight billion dollars a year which is at least three billion higher than our pre- depression federal budgets and to which other costs must be added. One of the added costs will be veterans' rehabilitation, lasting a good many years and conservatively estimated at one billion a year.
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