Verhovayak Lapja, 1944 (27. évfolyam, 1-52. szám)
1944 / Verhovay Journal
August 31, 1944 Verhovay Journal Mrs. Sophie Tokay, of 1939 W. 52nd St., Cleveland, O., has been notified by the War Department that her son, Pfc. Martin H. Tokay was killed in action in France. He was a member of Branch 50, of Cleveland, O., and died at the age of 29. He was the 8th Verhovayan to die on the French battlefront. * * * 66. SGT. JOHN RADAKOVITS Alexander Disco was a member of the Junior Order in Branch 248 of Logan, W. Va. He served with the Marines and was killed on the island of Saipan on the 18th of June, 1944. He is the 19th Verhovayan who lost his life in the war against Japan. He participated in the bloodiest battle of this conflict which has cost us the life of so many of our brave soldiers. He was one of the many who have given their lives in order that their comrades may achieve victory. * * * 64. PFC. BALAZS CHEPKE 63. CPL. ALEXANDER DISCO at the Youngstown Steel Door Co. He joined the army in April, 1943 and was taken overseas in May, 1944. He was killed in action in France on July 18, 1944, as the seventh Verhovayan who lost his life on that front. * * * 65. PFC. MARTIN H. TOKAY John Radakovits was a member of Branch 216 of Northampton, Pa., where he had his own service station at 9th and Main Streets. He was well known as an athlete and ball-player from his high school years. He joined the ^rmy in May, 1942. He was promoted to sergeant in September of the same year. In January, 1943 he graduated from the Edgewood Arsenal, Md., training-school and was made Master- Sergeant at the same time. In December he was taken overseas. He died at the age of 28 as the 9th fatal casualty of the Verhovay on the French front. His brother, Pfc. Steve, is stationed at present at Fort Munroe, Va. * * * 67. PVT. WILLIAM KORODY Balazs W. Chepke, Jr., was born in Campbell, O., on Dec. 21, 1922. Prior to his induction he worked The sad news of the death of Pvt. William Korody brought sorrow to the home of his father, Alexander Korody, manager of Branch 74, of Chicago, 111. His son was an unusually active member of the same branch, whose accomplishments are remembered in Verhovay circles up to this day. In 1939 he alone wrote up 36 new juvenile members. Then came the war and a great Verhovayan left his branch to serve (Continued on Page 6) A Tiger, A Maharaja and A Verhovayan Page l This is one of the sträng stories that prove the old adagi “Truth is stranger than fiction A hundred years from now, thi story may be told just like another story from Hungarian folklore ... for it is so much like the old Hungarian tales in which we usually hear about a poci man’s youngest son who goes tc distant lands, does a great king a big favor and is royally awarded. Perhaps all those old Hungarian tales were true stories in their days ... they sound unbelievable only to us moderns .. . Who knows? For the story I an telling you now is no less un believable, yet it is a true storj as it happened in the year c the Lord 1944... in the fa; away land of India .. . Once upon a time—I am tempted to say—there was a gooc and not so old miner in a little town in Western Pennsylvania, called Elizabeth. Louis Novak i« his name, a well known name indeed, for this mein is also t poet whose songs are known well among the Hungarian immigrants of these parts. This here man had a son named George. And when tin great war broke out, he wa called too and in due time hi was sent to India where b achieved the rank of a CorporaJ. The Americans were stationei near the mighty estate of ; great Maharaja, and the Maharaja was a troubled ruler. A wile beast, an unusually big tigemade his estate his hunting fiele and felled his horses and lamb by the hundreds. No one dared to attack the powerful anima: and the Maharaja’s lossess were staggering. So one day the Maharaja sen' a delegation to the Commande, of the American forces whic) conveyed to him the Lord’s re quest that a patrol of the corn ageous American soldiers be sen. against the dangerous beast. Tb commander immediately grante« the wish and sent out a patro of three men, lead by none other than our CORPORAL GEORGE J. NOVAK. Well, George shot the tiger. Boy, it certainly was some beast: Its powerful paw alone had a diameter of 17 inches! Then George called on the Maharaja and reported in trui soldierly fashion that the tige has "been eliminated. The kin was visibly mbved and invite' the corporal to spend his nex. furlough in his famous castle b Calcutta. The corporal acceptei the invitation, saluted and left This happened in March, 1944 About three months later George got his furlough and hurried tc Calcutta. He was received royally. He rode (he famous horses of the Maharaja and was carriec around in those man-powered couches they have... well, he was a king for a few days. Or the last day he reported to the Maharaja to thank him for hi; hospitality. He was gracious!} received and in parting thi Maharaja gave to Cpl. Georgi J. Novak a check of 72,000 rupie.... You want to know how muci 72,000 rupies is worth? Well, hold on tight because here it goes; it is more than 25,000 dollars... I repeat, ladies and gentlemen, this is no fairy-tale... it is a true story as told to us by the father of the boy, manager of our Elizabeth, Pa., branch, the mining-poet, Louis Novak. They Gave Their Lives...
