USA > Indiana > Lake County > History Of Veterans Of Foreign Wars (1944) > Part 9
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CPL. WAGNER HOME FOR THIRTY DAYS
Cpl. Clarence Wagman, Jr., who has seen action with the marines at Tulagi and Guadal- canal since his last furlough a year ago, arrived at his home Thursday. He has been in a San Diego hospital recovering from tropical fever which he contracted three times in the Pacific area and will rest at home for 30 days. Among the souvenirs he brought back are a number of articles and insignia removed from the boddies of dead Japs.
Bob Wagman, who is attending torpedo- man's school after having finished his boot training at Great Lakes, is at home this week- end to visit with his brother. A third brother, John, is a first class petty officer with the navy somewhere in the Solomons since last fall. They are the sons of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Wagman, 2121 Inner circle.
MEMORIAL SERVICES
Hammond Times, May 26, 1943
Edward H. Larson Post 802 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars will hold their memorial service at 10:30 a. m. Sunday at all cemetries where their former members are buried. The services will be conducted by their ritual team which was three times state champion and runner-up at the national encampment last year.
John Sapyta Reported a German Prisoner
Hammond Times, May 28, 1943.
Mr. and Mrs. Tony Sapyta, 906 Conkey street, Hammond, have received word that their son, John, has been heard in a short wave listening post on the east coast during a Ger- man radio broadcast in which he said:
"Hello folks. I am all right and treated well. Please do not worry. Will write as soon as possible. Don't worry. Love, John."
Mrs. Sapyta said that her son has been in the army for two years and recently was re- ported missing in action on the North African front. The family's last letter from him was received 11/2 months ago.
Another son, Stanley, is stationed at a North Carolina training base. He was a star football and basketball player at Hammond Tech prior to his induction.
Page Eighty-four
BROTHERS PROMOTED
SEPARATED FIRST TIME
Hammond Times, June 3, 1943
G. Manuszak
L. Manuszak
Leonard Manuszak, who is in Africa, was promoted to a corporal just recently accord- ing to word received by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Manuszak, 117 - 154th place, Calumet City. Cpl. Manuszak was inducted December, 1941, and trained at Ft. Benning, Ga. He was a student at Thornton Fractional and before his induction was employed at a filling station.
Cpl. Manuszak's brother, George, who has been serving his country in Detroit, recently sent word of his promotion to sergeant. He also attended Thornton Fractional high school and was inducted September, 1942.
IN NORTH AFRICA
Stoga
Hammond Times, June 3, 1943
Word has just been received from Sgt. Ollie J. Stoga who reports he is in North Africa and would like to hear from his friends again now that he is located. The sergeant's new address is 307 Medical company, APO 3935, care of Postmaster, New York, N. Y. He was inducted into service March 19, 1942 and previously was employed by GATX cor- poration in East Chicago and W. B. Conkey company, Hammond. Sgt. Stoga has a brother in the service, Raymond, a corporal at Camp Hood, Tex.
Chester Belko
Ollie Belko
Und NAVY
Felix Belko
Edward Belko
Mrs. Mary Belko, 4833 Wegg avenue, East Chicago, received word from her son, Ollie, who has been in active duty with the United States marine corps somewhere in the south Pacific for the past five months, that he was promoted to sergeant.
Sgt. Ollie was the first Belko to enlist after Pearl Harbor. He left in January last year, followed by his brother Edward, who enlisted in the navy and left a month later. Now a pharmacist's mate third class, Edward is sta- tioned at Newport, R. I. He has been awarded a service star for active duty.
More Belkos joined-the twins, Chester and Felix, enlisted in the navy and left Dec. 21 last. After their boot training at Great Lakes, Ill., and their nine-day "boot" leaves, Chester is at the end of two months of his four-month training in radio at Indianapolis and Felix was stationed at Boston, Mass., from where he was transferred to active sea duty as a gunner.
Serving in the armed forces has separated the Belko brothers for the first time in their lives. They all are graduates of Roosevelt high school in East Chicago.
Hammond Times, June 3, 1943
Page Eighty-five
HAMMOND HERO OF PACIFIC BATTLE, CONVALESCING FROM SHRAPNEL WOUNDS
Fritz Thomas
Hammond Times, June 9, 1943
Fritz Thomas is only 21 years old, but like John Paul Jones of the Revolutionary war, the Hammond youth is already a hero of naval engagements and a battle-scarred veteran of the Pacific.
Young Thomas, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Thomas, 6139 Garfield avenue, is home convalescing from shrapnel wounds in his head, right arm and chest, which he received last March during a battle with a Jap fleet 200 miles off the Siberian coast and between the Aleutians and Japan.
Fritz, who holds the rank of seaman first class, is an expert sight setter on a five-inch gun. He is now recuperating at the home of his parents from the wounds suffered in the Aleutian battle in which an American task force inflicted a crushing defeat upon Jap ships seeking to reinforce their positions in the Aleutians.
The youth was preparing to give the com- mand to fire when an eight-inch Jap shell landed near his gun seriously wounding him. His special helmet and ear-phones were knocked off by the concussion of the shell explosion.
Fritz will be decorated with the Order of the Purple Heart for gallantry under fire and already has been cited and given the campaign clasp of the order. He lost 23 pounds, bring- ing his weight down to 167 for a slender youth who stands above six feet.
Born in Hammond, Fritz enlisted in the navy Aug. 22, 1942. He attended Tech high school. He is the only son in a family of six children.
"I'm anxious to get back on the firing line," Fritz said. He plans to leave Hammond, June 15, for a southern California convalescing camp.
'SEA-BEE' PROMOTED OVERSEAS
Hammond Times, June 11, 1943
Hernacki
A former employe of the Inland Steel com- pany, Indiana Harbor, Walter A. Hernacki of East Chicago was promoted to a petty officer third class.
Hernacki, a member of the "Sea-Bees," is a brother of Mrs. John Dragovich, 4859 Drummond street, East Chicago. He is sta- tioned in the Aleutians, according to most re- cent reports from him.
REDWINE IN NORTH AFRICA
F. Redwine
Hammond Times, June 11, 1943
Master Sgt. Freeman B. Redwine, 31, whose wife, Eleanor, is living at 5411 Ash avenue, Hammond, is stationed at north Africa, where he has seen active duty since the last of Janu- ary. He is the son of Mrs. Stella Redwine, of Tulsa, Okla.
Enlisting on Aug. 13, 1940, at Charlotte, N. C., Redwine was stationed for army train- ing at Fort Benning, Ga., Indianatown Gap, Pa., and Fort Meade, Md., from where he was transferred overseas.
Page Eighty-six
TO NAVY SCHOOL
Walter Nowacki Hammond Times, June 3, 1943
Walter L. Nowacki, above, 23, son of Mrs. Frances Nowacki, 2472 Birch avenue, Ham- mond, has been selected for a 32-month course in engineering. A Hammond Tech graduate in the class of 1937, Nowacki joined the navy four years ago. He now holds a first-class machinist's rating and has seen service in the south Pacific and Iceland.
WHITING SOLDIER SUFFERS WOUNDS
Hammond Times, June 6, 1943
Pfc. Carl F. Boness, Whiting serviceman, who has been serving "Uncle Sam" overseas for over a year, is recovering at an army hos- pital on Staten Island, N. Y., from wounds received in active service on the north African front.
Pfc. Boness is a graduate of Whiting high school and served in the army previous to the declaration of war. He was released because of the 28-year age limit and re-enlisted Jan. 25, 1942.
His parents are Mr. and Mrs. Carl Boness, 1917 Wespark avenue, Whiting.
ARRIVES OVERSEAS
Mr. and Mrs. Al Schaller, 421 Waltham street, received a cablegram from their son, Gerald, United States naval hospital corps who is rated seaman second class informing them that he arrived overseas. Schaller was formerly associated in business with his father. His new address: Gerald Schaller, H. A. second class, U. S. N., mobile base, Hospital No. 7, FPO San Francisco, Calif.
THREE CADLE BROTHERS SERVE
F. C. Cadle
W. Cadle
C. Cadie
Hammond Times, June 3, 1943
Mrs. Clara J. Cadle, 35 Russell street, Ham- mond, has three sons in the service and the two navy men were home recently enjoying furloughs together. The oldest boy, Frank, is a chief petty officer and has served 10 years with the navy. He has made three trips across the Pacific and has sailed Alaskan waters. He returned two months ago to Washington, D. C., from actual combat in north Africa and is at present stationed at Philadelphia, Pa., awaiting shipping orders. His brother, Wil- liam, who is also a navy man, is stationed at San Francisco, Cal., as an aviation machinist's mate third class. He was just recently trans- ferred from navy air craft instrument school in Chicago.
Mrs. Cadle's youngest son, Clifford, was stationed at Camp Lee, Va., but he has been sent out on foreign service and as yet no word has been received from him.
The three brothers went to Hammond Technical high school.
ARRIVES IN AFRICA
Hammond Times, June 3, 1943
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Cwetna, 234 - 156th place, Calumet City, have received word from their son, Pfc. Ted Cwetna, that he arrived safely in North Africa. His serial number and address are: 36369284, Battery A, 410th C. A. BN. (A.A.), A.P.O. 700, U. S. Army, care postmaster, New York, N. Y. Before entering the service he was employed at Lever Brothers company. Another son, Pvt. Ray Cwetna, has been stationed in New Guinea for the past 14 months."
Page Eighty-seven
HOLDS HIGHEST NON-COM RANK
Hammond Times, June 16, 1943.
J. A. Euler
Joseph A. Euler, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Euler, Calhoun street, Black Oak, was pro- moted on May 4 to the rank of master ser- geant. He also holds the rank of regimental sergeant major, the highest position for a non- commissioned officer.
Master Sgt. Euler has been stationed in north Africa for several months.
SEVENTH GOLD STAR ADORNS ROOSEVELT HIGH SERVICE FLAG
Hammond Times, June 16, 1943.
Lt. Ballas
Adding the seventh gold star to the service flag at Roosevelt high school, Lt. William Ballas of East Chicago was killed in action in north Africa April 29.
A telegram from the war department tell- ing of his death was received two days ago by the lieutenant's survivors, his father, William E., and sister, Ethel, who live at 4721 North- cote avenue in the Twin Cities.
Inducted into the army in the fall of 1941, Lt. Ballas was stationed first at Camp Shelby, Miss. He was sent from there to Fort Ben- ning, Ga., where he was graduated from officers' training school last July and sent to England almost immediately. The young East Chicago officer was with the first group of American soldiers who landed in north Africa.
CALUMET CITY SGT. KILED IN ACTION ON ATTU ISLAND
Hammond Times, June 17, 1943.
Sgt. Boswell
Sgt. James E. Boswell of Calumet City was killed in action in the North American area- presumably Attu Island-May 29, according to a telegram sent from the war department to his sister, Mrs. Raymond E. Shaffer, 595 Wentworth avenue, Calumet City.
Sgt. Boswell, 28, formerly resided with his sister, at 4 Highland street, Calumet City, and was employed at the Ford plant in Hege- wisch prior to enlisting in the army Feb. 14, 1941.
A brother, Sgt. Bert Boswell, is in the army and now located "somewhere in north Africa."
Other survivors include his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Boswell, New Albany, Ind., and two sisters Mrs. Donald Pugh of Hammond and Mrs. Raymond Meyer of Munster.
Mrs. Shaffer, Mrs. Pugh and Mrs. Meyer will leave tonight for Louisville, Ky., where mem- orial services for the dead soldier will be held Sunday.
WRITES FROM NORTH AFRICA
Hammond Times, June 16, 1943.
W. R. Watts
A locomotive fireman before enlistment in the armed forces, Cpl. William R. Watts, who has just arrived in north Africa, reports through mails to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Watts, Osborn avenue, Hammond, that he enjoyed the boat trip overseas and met several of his former co-workers at the Indiana Harbor Belt railroad.
Page Eighty-eight
BACK FROM FOREIGN PORTS
1. Brandley
Hammond Times, June 16, 1943.
Laden with gifts from Australia and India, where he has been stationed, John "Jack" T. Brandley, first class seaman and son of Mr. and Mrs. James Coppage, 2033 Superior ave- nue, Whiting, is spending a 15-day leave at home.
"Jack" had spent the greater part of his life in Whiting and Robertsdale before en- listing in the navy shortly after Pearl Harbor. He plans to return to his "home" base at New Orleans, La., about June 22.
FORMER HAMMOND MAN MISSING
Hammond Times, June 15, 1943
Lt. C. Richard Brown, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Brown of Omaha, Neb., has been miss- ing in action in the North African area since May 19, according to word received by Mrs. Grace C. Brown, 34 Ogden street, Hammond, with whom the youth made his home when he lived in Hammond.
Brown was a P-40 pilot and flight com- mander in the army air force at the time he was reported missing. He had lived in Ham- mond three and a half years, employed as a metallurgist at the Inland Steel company im- mediately after Pearl Harbor. He had been stationed overseas since the first of January this year.
TEUTEMACHER IN AFRICA
Hammond Times, June 17, 1943.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Teutemacher received word from their son, Cyril, that he has ar- rived safely in north Africa. He praises the scenery in letters home, but reminds his family that two things he looks forward to the most are letters from home and friends and editions of The Hammond Times. Mail should be ad- dressed as follows: Pfc. Cyril Teutemacher, A.S.N. 35568216, Battery A-534, C. A. Bn., AA, APO 3836, care of postmaster, New York City, N. Y.
ROSS PROMOTED
R. M. Ross
Hammond Times, June 17, 1943
Robert Michael Ross, veteran of the Sol- omons' campaign, was promoted to the rank of sergeant recently. In a letter to his father, Michael Ross, of 1309 Community ct,, Whit- ing, he states he is enjoying a short leave in a south Pacific base. Ross, a second year student at the Indiana university extension, enlisted in the marines soon after the declaration of war. After serving five months in training camp at Quantico, he was sent overseas, and served with the First marine division through- out the Solomons' campaign. He is still with his original outfit.
SEAMAN NOW OVER SEAS
B& NAVY
Robert Seaman
Hammond Times, June 17, 1943.
Robert "Bob Seaman, 19, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gus Seaman, 4932 Elm street, Hammond, left two weeks ago for overseas duty from Norfolk, Va. Seaman, who has been in the navy for a year and three months, is rated a petty officer, third class.
A former student of Hammond Technical high school, he was employed at the W. B. Conkey company, Hammond, before entering service. He was stationed at San Diego, Calif., for his "boot" training, and later at North Island, Calif., and Memphis, Tenn.
Page Eighty-nine
I'ts Too Bad For Japs on Attu
Barnett
Hammond Times, June 16, 1943
A Hammond soldier got tired of lying on his face in the mud-lost his temper-and it was just too bad for the Japanese.
They are trying to think of a medal suit- able for pinning on the chest of Pvt. Fred M. Barnett, 30, formerly of 7014 Marshall ave- nue, Hammond, who lost his temper, accord- ing to Keith Wheeler, Chicago Times staff correspondent, who writes from Fish-Hook mountains, Attu island.
Barnett, whose mother resides in Independ- ence, Mo., came to Hammond four years ago with five brothers, three of whom still reside here. One brother, James, lives at 1108 Hoff- man street and is employed at the Screw Con- veyor company, where Fred worked when he first came to Hammond. At the time of his induction into the army in October, 1941, Fred was a truck driver for the city of Ham- mond. A second brother, W. O., employed at the State line generating plant, resides at 6438 Jefferson avenue, and a third, Lawrence, a bus driver for the Shore Line, lives at 727 Michi- gan street.
A fourth brother died in Hammond last year and the fifth has returned to Independ- ence, Mo., to be with their mother.
The news dispatch of Fred's lost temper and the consequent rout of the Japanese troops was the first word from their brother for more than four months, the Hammond brothers said today.
"Fred never was one to write much," W.
O. Barnett declared. "He always was for action."
That is why Fred lost his temper - too much inaction on Attu.
With the men of his platoon (Second of Company A), Barnett had been trying all
afternoon to take a Jap nest on the outer flank of the Fish-Hook.
The Japs were in deep jug-shaped fox holes carved in the rock, and in a trench dug in the half-melted snow - and they wouldn't get out.
Even mortar and artillery shells couldn't blast them out for the soggy snow blanketed the explosions. And the infantry couldn't get at them. The approach from below was a sheer broad slope of snow, without enough cover to hide an undernourished gnat.
The Japs, as always, had a light machine gun or a knee mortar for every man and they had plenty of ammunition.
For an hour Company A grovelled on its face in the snow. Every time they moved, the machine guns rattled and sprayed snow in their faces or the splatting mortars showered them with it. For men scarcely ever dry and never warm in two weeks of fighting, the snow was torture. And the knife-edged wind up here at the 2,000-foot level didn't help any.
Pvt. Barnett then lost his temper and his patience and stood up.
"Hey, where the hell are you going?" his sergeant yelled.
"Up there," said Barnett, pointing.
"Get down, you damned fool!" the sergeant shouted.
"The hell with getting down. I've been on my puss in the mud for two weeks now," said Pvt. Barnett and moved off to the right.
For a moment the startled gunners in the trench above ignored him. Then the guns rattled spitefully and snow fairies danced around his feet. Barnett scrambled nimbly and ducked behind a shoulder of the slope. Company A watched from under the lids of their helmets and thought it was too bad about Barnett-and what a good guy he had been.
Barnett inched upward from boulder to boulder on the flank, and then he was level with the snow trench. He walked up to the trench from the side. He walked straight up to it, with his Garand held in front of him. Company A heard the machine gun rattle again and groaned, but looked again anyway,
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Page Ninety
HAMMOND SOLDIER LOSES HIS TEMPER
and there was Barnett standing over the trench and firing into it. He backed off a few steps and tossed a grenade inside. The explo- sion tossed up more than just snow.
Barnett moved on to one of the rocky fox holes, approaching cat-footed, warily. He tossed in a grenade and danced away to await the explosion. He tiptoed to still another fox hole and grenaded that. Bullets spanged about him, but against all the rules of thinking he stayed on his feet and alive.
He moved toward another fox hole. "Come on, you lugs," the sergeant yelled and started up the slope. The second platoon came off its faces and started after him. The rest of Com- pany A scrambled up and clawed through the snow toward the Jap position.
When they reached him, Barnett was using his bayonet to polish off the work begun by another grenade. There were a dozen dead Japs in the trench and in the fox holes.
In the trench a shattered heavy machine gun lay on top of the shattered bodies of its servants. There were light machine guns in the fox holes with the bodies of their oper- ators.
Pvt. Barnett, still going strong, gave Com- pany A his expert assistance in killing the 40 odd living Japs still in the fox holes of the strong points.
"You blank-blank-blank," the sergeant said, looking Barnett over for holes. He couldn't find any.
"I got good and sick and tired of being flat on my puss in the wet," Pvt. Barnett said.
PROMOTED IN COAST GUARD Hammond Times, June 14, 1943.
Robert E. Nowak coast guard, son of Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Nowak, Calumet City, was promoted to seaman first class "somewhere overseas" according to a report received by his parents.
A graduate of Thornton Fractional High school, Calumet City, Nowak was one of the youngest enlistees from St. Andrew's parish in the community. He has been in service one year, during which time he has seen "a lot of sea duty," his parents report.
BACK FROM SEA
Hammond Times, June 16, 1943
Robert George
C. Kobeszka
Home for their first furlough from a voy- age in eastern waters of the war zone are Robert George, son of Mrs. Josephine George, of 12 - 154th place, Calumet City, and Clar- ence Kobeszka, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Kobeszka, of 38 - 154th place, also of Calu- met City. The youths hold the rank of sea- man, first class. They have been in the service 11 months and have seen considerable sea duty in the war zone during that time. During their 15-day furlough home the seamen are being entertained by their families and friends. They said they enjoy the life of a sailor and are anxious to get back aboard ship. George has grown a neat set of chin whiskers plus a mustache.
REDWINE IN NORTH AFRICA
Hammond Times, June 16, 1943
Redwine
Master Sgt. Freeman B. Redwine, 31, whose wife, Eleanor, is living at 5411 Ash avenue, Hammond, is stationed at north Africa, where he has seen active duty since the last of January. He is the son of Mrs. Stella Redwine, Tulsa, Okla.
Enlisting on Aug. 13, 1940, at Charlotte, N. C., Redwine was stationed for army train- ing at Fort Benning, Ga., Indiantown Gap, Pa., and Fort Meade, Md., from where he was transferred overseas.
Page Ninety-one
HEADS DISTRICT AUXILIARY
Hammond Times, June 18, 1943.
When the first district of the women's aux- iliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars met recently at Trinity hall in Hammond, Mrs. Constance Bobinsky, a prominent local mem- ber of the organization, was elected president of the district. She succeeds Mrs. Margaret Snowden of Gary.
Mrs. Bobinsky is a past president of the auxiliary of VFW Post 802 of Hammond and of the auxiliary American Legion Post 330 in Calumet City and is active in volunteer work for the Red Cross and other worthwhile projects.
Mrs. Constance Bobinsky
The Indiana department's 22nd annual en- campment is now in session at Terre Haute, Ind., with national officers of both the VFW and auxiliary in attendance.
Among those who will take part in the pro- gram are:
Carl J. Schoeninger of Detroit, senior vice commander in chief; Joseph M. Stack of Pittsburgh, national chief of staff; Mrs. Marie C. De Witt of St. Paul, Minn., national aux- iliary president, and Mrs. Grace Davis of Kansas City, Mo., national auxiliary secretary and treasurer. John H. Strange of Evansville, Indiana department commander, will preside.
A full program has been planned for the convention but some of the fun-making of previous years will be omitted because of the war.
TWIN CITY YOUTH'S SHIP SUNK IN ACTION Didn't Even Get Feet Wet!
Hammond Times, June 18, 1943.
Lumkomski
When you get a ship shot out from under you - and never even get your feet wet being rescued-you belong in a class with Raymond Lukomski of East Chicago, a first class seaman and a prime pal of Lady Luck.
Lukomski, 22-year-old veteran of four major naval engagements in the Pacific, is en- joying a 30-day leave at the home of his par- ents, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Lukomski, 4839 White Oak avenue. He returns to duty near the middle of next month.
The Twin City youth's job is pitching, with a 40 mm. machine gun, and he was aboard the Destroyer Aaron Ward which emerged from the Savo Island and Midway sea battles along with other American fighters. Two stars for those two clashes, plus two others for en- counters with Jap navy units off Guadalcanal, adorn the lad's service stripes.
"We were just in from a patrol job and were bound for a Guadalcanal port to re- fuel," Lukomski related, in discussing the action in which the Aaron Ward was sunk.
"When about half way across the channel, we had orders to stand by for action against 98 Jap planes on their way in. Our own air- craft intercepted the flight several miles away, but three Nip bombers got through and came after the Aaron Ward.
"The first two bombs missed, but the third got the destroyer. Listing badly, the ship was being towed to land in an effort to beach her before she could sink. The tug, however, had to give up the task and I stepped from the destroyer to the tug when the order to aban- don ship was given.
"Some of the other crew members had to
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Page Ninety-two
U. S. COAST GUARD MEMBER KILLED
Parents of Frank Ernest Sickles, 21, of 12- 155th place, Calumet City, seaman first class, of the coast guard, today were notified he had been killed in action and that his body was not recovered.
Sickles
Hammond Times, June 18, 1943.
Vice Admiral R. R. Waesche, of the coast guard, does not specify in the notification telegram where young Sickles made the su- preme sacrifice.
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