Skip to main content

Military Monday: Nicholas Hruszczak served in WWII

Nicholas Hruszczak (my grandfather’s brother) was just 20 years old when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The next year, in August 1942, he enlisted in the US Army.

His Veteran Compensation Application shows he served domestically from enlistment to 30 December 1942 and then again from 2 November 1945 until he was honorably discharged on 9 November 1945 at Fort Indiantown Gap.

Photo from the Coatesville Record
28 August 1944
In between – specifically, 31 December 1942 to 1 November 1945 – he served in foreign service. On 20 July 1943, according to the National Archives World War II Diaries, he came aboard the USS Rigel. He boarded, along with many other men, at Pontoon Landing, Laulan Island, Milne Bay, New Guinea. At that time his rank was PFC.

These “war diaries” are daily operational journals created by naval command throughout the Navy during the Second World War. They were decommissioned on 31 December 2012. The original source is the National Archives.

The operational journal shows the daily positions of the USS Rigel, any problems she had along the way, anchoring locations and some insight to daily routine. Since Uncle Nick checked Army on his Compensation paperwork, and knowing that the USS Rigel was used as a transport ship, I assume (because I cannot find definite documentation confirming) that his unit was transported upon the USS Rigel to the South Pacific.

A photo from the Coatesville Record (sadly, now defunct) shows that Uncle Nick was a Corporal in the South Pacific in August 1944. According to his obituary, Uncle Nick “served in the South Pacific in the Philippine Liberation with one Bronze Star.”

A Bronze Star is awarded for heroic or meritorious achievement of service. So what did he do? I have checked many sites, government and genealogy sites alike, to no avail. The only documented items I can find are his photo from the local paper and his boarding the UUS Rigel. I do not have any record of what he did in the South Pacific or even what his unit is. I do have his serial number and will continue my military search on his experiences.

Sources:
Coatesville Record. 28 August 1944.

“Nicholas Ruczhac of Coatesville” Daily Local News, 5 March 2008

Pennsylvania, Veteran Compensation Application Files, WWII, 1950-1966 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.

World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories, compiled ca. 1/1/1942 – ca. 6/1/1946, documenting the period ca. 9/1/1939 – ca. 5/30/1946. [database online] Fold2. com, 2010.


Military Monday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.

© Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2016
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Coatesville's First Serial Killer

Young Alexander Meyer was a disturbed and angry young man with some major issues. He had failed sixth and seventh grade, and instead of having to repeat eighth grade again, he finally gave up on school. At age 16 he quit Downingtown Junior High. Meyer is not a relative, nor are his victims (that I am aware). I stumbled upon young Alex while reading Tortured Minds: Pennsylvania's Most Bizarre - But Forgotten - Murders by Tammy Mal. On 11 February 1937 Alexander Thweatt Meyer killed young Helen Moyer as she walked home from school in Coatesville along Modena Road. She was not his first. The jury was out only three minutes after hearing Dr. Michael Margolis' testimony on the death of Helen Moyer. The jury determined Meyer had murdered Moyer and should be held for first degree murder. The jury also condemned the parole system which had released Meyer back into the public, after having served just 14 months in Huntingdon Reformatory, for the murder of two other girls - Anna Blasc...
5 comments
Read more

Thaddeus Stevens at the Lancaster Convention Center

Within the Lancaster Convention Center (Lancaster, PA) is a small section dedicated to Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith. The section is known as the Stevens & Smith Historic Site. It is scheduled for development this year. At the moment one can only get a glimpse of it through the Convention Center or by peeking in from the outside. Here at Queen and Vine Streets in Lancaster City, Pennsylvania, Thaddeus Stevens had his law office. Stevens was an abolitionist. An abolitionist is a person who favors the abolition of a practice or institution, especially capital punishment or (formerly) slavery. Stevens was born 4 April 1792 to Joshua Stevens and Sarah (Sally) Morrill in Danville Vermont. One of four children, he attended Vermont University from 1810 to 1812 when the War prompted its closure. He then went to Dartmouth, where he graduated in 1814. He then studied law and found himself set up in Gettysburg, PA in 1816. He practiced law there until 1828 when he...
Post a Comment
Read more

52 Ancestors: Remembering the King

Today is Elvis’ birthday. He would have been 80 today.   I was only eight when he died so obviously I am too young to have seen Elvis perform. However, when I hear his music, I go back in time. I am once again that young girl dancing in the living room to Elvis and other greats with my father. Back then girls learned to dance by dancing with their fathers not some video of scantly dressed people doing all sorts of things young ladies should not be doing in public!      What is YOUR favorite memory - either of your father or of Elvis?   52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a weekly genealogical challenge issued by Amy Johnson Crow, of No Story Too Small . Look for my weekly posts each Thursday!   © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015
2 comments
Read more