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Nanty Glo's
World War II memorial (above) once occupied present site of Gazebo.
From the NTAMHS CD-ROM, Life in the Valley. Click
for more information.
A ground breaking
ceremony was held in Washington DC with President Clinton in attendance
on Veterans Day, November 11, 2000, for the dedication of the overdue
and long-awaited World War II Memorial. There is controversy over its
planned location, some opponents stating that the site will obstruct
the present grand view of the Washington Mall area stretching from the
Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol Building. Regardless of the debate,
the veterans of the Big War deserve recognition for the supreme sacrifice
they made.
As a youngster,
I remember the Nanty Glo Capital Theater had a glass display case with
an honor roll listing World War II servicemen who were killed in combat
or some service-connected accident. When a serviceman fell victim during
the war, his name was added to the honor roll. The Nanty Glo Journal
provided a list of the Blacklick Valley war dead in an August 1945 issue
that should bring back memories especially for older Gloers. In remembrance
of those killed, who are not to be forgotten, the following list is
provided:
|
Name
|
Rank
|
Service
branch
|
Home
town
|
Date
Killed or Reported Missing
|
Where
Killed or Reported Missing
|
|
George
A. Anderson
|
Tech
Sgt
|
Air
Force
|
Nanty
Glo
|
11/42
|
European
Theatre
|
|
Stephen
Bartok
|
2nd
Lt.
|
Army
|
Twin
Rocks
|
07/28/44
|
France
|
|
Russell
Beatty
|
Pfc
|
Army
|
Singer
Hill
|
01/08/45
|
Belgium
|
|
Paul
Bezek
|
T-5
|
|
Nanty
Glo
|
03/16/45
|
Drowned
in Luzon
|
|
George
W. Bensor
|
Pvt
|
Army
|
Nanty
Glo
|
05/25/44
|
Italy
|
|
John
Britsky **
|
Cpl
|
Army
|
Vintondale
|
08/15/44
|
France
(see note at bottom)
|
| Samuel
L. Burkhart |
Pvt. |
|
Mineral
Point R. D. |
04/06/45 |
Germany |
|
Joseph
J. Buschko
|
Tech.
Sgt
|
Air
Force
|
Nanty
Glo
|
01/21/44
|
European
Theater
|
| Harry
B. Campbell |
Cpl. |
|
Belsano |
02/26/44 |
Anzio
beachhead |
| Michael
"Shagg" Capelli |
sniper |
Army |
Nanty
Glo |
"very
end of war" |
France
 |
|
Charles
T. Casper
|
Tech
Sgt
|
Air
Force
|
Nanty
Glo
|
02/26/45
|
Rhineland
|
|
Michael
Cherkola
|
Staff
Sgt
|
Army
|
Good's
Corner
|
03/24/45
|
Germany
|
|
Mike
Charnesky
|
Pfc
|
Army
|
Nanty
Glo
|
04/23/45
|
Luzon
|
|
Steve
Chugus
|
Seaman,
2nd Class
|
Navy
|
Nanty
Glo
|
11/13/42
|
Aboard
USS Juneau at Guadalcanal
|
|
Martin
L. Courtney
|
Pvt
|
Army
|
Nanty
Glo
|
08/12/44
|
France
|
|
Herbert B. Daly |
TSGT |
Air
Force |
Vintondale
(VFW post named for him) |
04/16/43
|
328th
BS, 8th, Europe |
|
Milton
A. Dixon
|
Lt
|
Air
Force
|
Colver
|
08/26/43
|
Sarasota,
Fla.
|
|
Fred
Dumm
|
Sgt
|
Army
|
Nicktown.
R.D.
|
07/01/44
|
France
|
|
Walter
Dunwiddie
|
Pvt.
|
Army
|
Nanty
Glo
|
Spring,
'44
|
Italy
|
|
Lloyd
Evans
|
Sgt
|
Army
|
Nanty
Glo
|
08/08/44
|
France
|
|
Alex
George
|
Staff
Sgt
|
Army
|
Nanty
Glo
|
05/11/45
(Last day of war)
|
Germany
|
|
Darrell
Gillen
|
Sgt
|
Army
|
Park
Hill
|
04/23/45
|
Luzon
|
|
Roy
G. Gongloff
|
Pvt
|
Army
|
Revloc
|
07/05/44
|
Italy
|
| Michael
Gyurke, Jr.* |
Pfc |
Army |
Nettleton |
11/29/44 |
France
|
|
Jack
Hannigan
|
2nd
Lt.
|
Army
|
Nanty
Glo
|
01/10/45
|
Germany
|
|
Frank
Hegedus
|
Pfc
|
Army
|
Vintondale
|
08/25/44
|
France
|
|
Harry
E. Hite
|
Master
Sgt
|
Air
Force
|
Belsano
|
11/09/42
|
Ellington
Field, Texas
|
|
John
Hruska
|
Pvt
|
Army
|
Nanty
Glo
|
07/09/44
|
France
|
|
Thelma
(Moss) Jordon
|
Navy
WAVES
|
Navy
|
|
05/28/45
|
Brooklyn
Naval Hospital
|
|
John
Kasarnich Jr.
|
Pvt
|
Army
|
Twin
Rocks
|
12/27/44
|
Luxembourg
|
|
Steve
L. Klosz
|
Pfc
|
Army
|
Twin
Rocks (VFW Post named for him)
|
Fall,
43
|
North
Africa
|
|
Michael Kovash |
PFC |
Army |
Twin
Rocks |
11/30/44 |
France |
|
Michael
Kozar
|
Staff
Sgt
|
Army
|
Vintondale
|
11/27/44
|
Germany
|
| Nick
Kozarosky |
Pvt |
Army |
Nanty
Glo |
05/04/45 |
Germany |
|
George
A. Larish
|
Lt.
|
Army
|
Vintondale
|
06/10/44
|
France
|
|
Ronald
Longhard
|
Pfc
|
Army
|
Nanty
Glo
|
12/29/44
|
European
Theater
|
|
George
A. Lybarger
|
|
|
Vintondale
|
11/29/42
|
Drowned
in Canal Zone
|
|
David
J. Mack
|
Pvt
|
Army
|
Vintondale
R.D.
|
04/01/44
|
Italy
|
|
Wallace
G. Madill
|
Pvt
|
Army
|
Nanty
Glo
|
11/20/43
|
England
|
| John
Harold Makins |
Pfc |
|
Belsano |
06/09/44 |
France |
|
Clifford
Martin
|
Cpl
|
Army
|
Nanty
Glo
|
07/29/44
|
War
Wounds, in Corsica
|
|
Michael
Matachosky
|
PFC
|
Marines
|
Twin
Rocks
|
02/22/44
|
Eniwetok,
Marshall Is.
|
|
William
D. Miller
|
Staff
Sgt
|
Army
|
Twin
Rocks
|
06/11/44
|
France
|
|
William
R. Miller
|
Chief
Petty Officer
|
Navy
|
Nanty
Glo
|
06/22/45
|
Bethesda,
Maryland
|
|
Charles
Molinsky
|
Pvt
|
Army
|
Nanty
Glo
|
12/25/44
|
European
Theater
|
|
John
B. Mosso
|
Sgt
|
Army
|
Nanty
Glo
|
08/07/44
|
France
|
|
Kenneth
Mottin
|
Pvt
|
Army
|
Nanty
Glo
|
07/12/44
|
Vancouver,
W
|
|
Mike
Muzich
|
Pvt.
|
Army
|
Dilltown
|
07/07/44
|
France
|
|
Myron
Nelson
|
Cpl
|
Army
|
Nicktown
|
02/21/44
|
Pacific
Theeater
|
|
Robert
R. Noble
|
Pfc
|
Army
|
Nanty
Glo
|
06/06/44
|
France,
D-Day at Normandy
|
|
Russel
E. Oaks
|
Sgt
|
Army
|
Good's
Corner
|
11/43
|
Mediterranean
|
|
Henry
Palencsar
|
Pvt
|
Marines
|
Nanty
Glo
|
08/02/44
|
Saipan
|
|
David
Price
|
Pvt
|
Army
|
Clymer
|
08/12/44
|
France
|
|
Nicholas
Pruski
|
Pvt
|
Army
|
Nanty
Glo
|
09/24/43
|
Mediterrean
Theater
|
|
John
Regetz
|
Pvt
|
|
Vintondale
|
09/44
|
War
wounds, Guam
|
|
Michael
Roman
|
Pvt
|
Army
|
Twin
Rocks
|
12/43
|
Mediterranean
Theater
|
| Mike
Safko |
Pvt |
|
Nanty
Glo |
11/24/44 |
Germany |
|
Stephen
A. Safko
|
Staff
Sgt
|
Air
Force
|
Nanty
Glo
|
01/18/43
|
Plane
Crash in Arizona
|
|
Aldo
Schirato
|
Pfc
|
Army
|
Nanty
Glo
|
02/06/45
|
France
|
| Tony
Seenna |
Pfc |
|
Vintondale |
07/29/44 |
France |
|
Gabor
Selak
|
Staff
Sgt
|
Army
|
Twin
Rocks
|
04/22/45
|
Luzon
|
|
Thomas
Shannon
|
Staff
Sergeant
|
Army
|
Nicktown
R.D.
|
08/11/44
|
France
|
| Michael
Smolnicki |
Pfc |
|
Nanty
Glo |
08/--/44 |
Pacific |
| John
J. Soya |
Pvt. |
|
Nanty
Glo |
03/06/45 |
Iwo
Jima |
|
Mike
Stefanick*
|
Staff
Sgt
|
Army
|
Nanty
Glo
|
06/03/45
|
Phillipines
|
|
William
Sybert
|
|
|
Nanty
Glo
|
1945
|
|
|
Henry
J. Szekalski
|
Pfc
|
Army
|
Twin
Rocks
|
01/04/45
|
France
|
|
Boyd
(Buzz) Wagner*
|
Lt.
Col.
|
US
Air Force
|
Johnstown
(via Nanty Glo)
|
12/29/42
|
Plane
crash in Florida
|
|
Stanley
W. Wassick
|
Pvt
|
Army
|
Nanty
Glo
|
06/12/44
|
Italy
|
|
James
G. Welsh
|
1st
Lt
|
Army
|
Nanty
Glo
|
09/30/44
|
Germany
|
|
Joseph
J. Wojowicz
|
Cpl
|
Army
|
Vintondale
|
07/19/44
|
France
|
|
Samuel
Wolff
|
Pfc
|
Army
|
Nanty
Glo
|
01/08/45
|
France
|
|
William
Wright
|
Pvt
|
Army
|
Vintondale
|
08/12/44
|
France
|
|
Bernard
Yenelouis
|
Pvt
|
Army
|
Nanty
Glo
|
12/22/42
|
New
Guinea
|
|
* Indicates
that the name is linked to a more detailed memorial page.
** John Britsky, who was on a list of casualties published in
1944, was actually captured in France but was later released.
His daughter reported him as still living in a nursing home in
2009.
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