Verhovayak Lapja, 1945 (28. évfolyam, 1-52. szám)
1945 / Verhovay Journal
March 14, 1945 Verhov ay Journal ■■■■■bssbhbbrbbhdsbhbb Pagp 5 They Gave Their Lives ... 127. SGT. JOSEPH A. ZAY, JR. On January 29th, 1945, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Zay, McKeesport, Pa., received a telegram from the War Department informing them that their son, Sgrt. Joseph Zay, Jr., was reported missing in action as of January 16th, 1945, in Belgium. This was followed by another telegram on February 3rd, which brought the sad news to the parents of Sgt. Joseph A. Zay that he was killed in action on the date he was reported missing. Joseph A. Zay was born in McKeesport, Pa., and a member of Branch 226, and is the second heroic dead member of that branch. Prior to his induction he worked for the W'ilmerding Air Brake Co., entered military service on April 4, 1942, received his training in Arkansas and California and was taken to England in February, 1944. He fought in the battles of France, Luxemburg and Belgium. He served with General Patton’s famous Third Army, in the 68th Tank Battalion of the 6th Armored Division. He was awarded the Good Conduct Medal and the two Bronze Stars in recognition of his heroic conduct. His father, Joseph A. Zay came to America from Kispeleske, Szatmar county, and his mother from Marok, Bereg County, Hungary. They already have lost a son who was killed in action ... he was not a member df our association . . . and now the heroic death of their second son, a Verhovayan, has brought upon them the immeasurable sorrow of a double tragedy . . . The Zay family is the second to lose two sons in this war and the sympathy of all Verhovayan goes out to them in their mourning. May they find comfort in their faith that their heroic son has found everlasting peace in the great Beyond that surely is open for all who have made the Supreme Sacrifice. Sgt. Zay is the 51st fatal casualty of the Verhovay on the Western front. 128. CHARLES SMALKO, JR. Charles Smalko, Jr. was born in Detroit, Mich., on July 10th, 1919. After his parents left Detroit for JUcheyville, Pa., he became a member of Branch 399, Richeyville, Pa., and is the first heroic dead member of that branch. He was inducted in 1941 and received his training at Camp Lee, Va., then in Maryland and finally at Hamilton Field, Col., and was taken from there to the Philippines. According to a letter dated Januar 14, 1942, he was stationed at Cebu. His last letter to his parents was written on May 7th, 1942, and since then his parents received no news from him. — More than a year later, on June 14th, 1943, the War Department notified the parents that their son has been captured by the Japanese, but is was apparently impossible for him to communicate with his family. — Thus, for a year and a half Mr. and Mrs. Charles Smalko, Sr., lived in anxious uncertainty, hoping against hope that their anxiety may be relieved one day. However, their anxiety turned to mourning when the W'ar Department informed them that their son was killed in action on September 7, 1944. — The circumstances of his death only serve to add to the tragedy that deprived Mr. and Mrs. Smalko of their beloved son. Due to the smashing succes of the American armies, the Japanese saw it necessary to ship their American prisoners of war to some other island in order to prevent their liberation. 750 American prisoners have been loaded on an small Japanese freighter where they were kept in such crowded ■quarters that many of them died due to lack of air. The vessel sailed from Davao, Mindanao, August 20, 1944 and it was sunk off the western shores of Mindanao on the 7th of September. According to the report relatively few of the prisoners had opportunity to leave the sinking ship and swim to safety. Many of those who succeeded in breaking out were mowed down by Japanese machineguns. A small number managed to reach shore and a close watch was kept for many days for any others that may have escaped. — But no more were found during these days. In the meantime, the Japanese government reported all of the prisoners as well as the crew of the ship as lost, indicating that no survivors are in the hands of the Japanese government. Consequently, the War Department was unable to entertain a probability of the survival of Charles Smalko, Jr., and declared him to have died in action on September 7, 1944. Thus the long period of anxiety and suffering experienced by Mr. and Mrs. Smalko has come to a most unhappy culmination the sorrow of which is shared by all Verhovayans . . . Charles Smalko, Jr., was the 30th Verhovayan to lose his life on the Japanese front. 129. PVT. WILLIAM A. KASSA He was born in Aliquippa, Pa., a son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis P. Kassa, who also have a daughter and three other sons, ail members of the Verhovay F. I. A. William entered the service in Sept. 1941, after having toured the country as a member of the Army "War Show for several months. Before that he attended the Aliquippa High School and then joined the C. C. C. Shortly after his induction his father was killed by an automobile in Aliquippa. His mother, Mrs. Lydia Kassa, then left for Phladelphia to live with her son, Joseph, who has been employed at the Philadelphia Navy Yard since the beginning of the war. Mrs. Kassa had hardly recovered from the tragedy of losing her husband when the War Department informed her that her son died in November 11th, 1944, in France, as a result of wounds received in action. Her sorrow is shared by her daughter, Mrs. Mary McCormick, of Pittsburgh, Pa., and her three sons, Joseph, Cpl. Louis, J., and Pfc. Steven. Both of her soldier sons serve in the Air Force, and their pictures also appear in this issue. William was a member of Branch 76, Philadelphia, Pa., and is the first heroic dead member of this branch. He is the 51st fatal casualty suffered by the Verhovay on the front in Western Europe. Our deepest sympathy goes out to the twice bereaved family of Pvt. William A. Kassa. THE MEMORY OF OUR 129 HEROIC DEAD SHALL REMAIN WTTH US FOR EVER. The Verhovay Epic VERHOVAYAN CITED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES One of (he most unusual experiences of an American soldier in the present European war wa* encountered by Pvt. ARTHUR 0. WICKERHAM, son of W. Coulter Wickerham of 2S02 Main Sir., Homestead Park. Pa., of Bram-h S9. Homestead. Pa., who turned the tables on his German captors and. Instead, took them prisoners a '4 turned them over to his superior officers_Pvt. Wickerham is attached lo the Seventh Armored Divisio» which has been in the thick of i fighting in the Western drive ! since D-day Driving alone on a I i mission late on afternoon, Pvt. j Wickerham was surprised wh- « two German soldiers hiding in the woods along the road accosted hit» with pointed rifles and commanded him to halt. They compelled him to drive the jeep oft the roadway and hid it in the woods. Then they marched him some distance to a clearing in the woods where a patrol of German soldiers held three othc- American soldiers, one of whom was serioslv wounded and in need of medical attention. They allowed the American soldiers to adminiuter first aid to their comrade after which the main detail of live patrol left, leaving the two Gor: mans who had captured Pvt. ' Wickerham, in charge of hi» I and the other American soldiers. I Shortly thereafter the Gerre an j soldiers gave the Americans >n-__ I structions to head for the German I lines. As the wounded soldier.ru ! unable to walk his fiojnradea .carried him Thev proceeded for some time and when darkness fed bedded down in the woods for (be night. They slent about five hrnrw and upon awakening the German soldiers, unfamiliar to, the. I surroundings, were confused as (n i which way to proceed. Pvt. Wiek- I erham. realizing the plight of the I wounded man and noticing the confusion of the German guards, prevailed upon them to carry (he injured American to an Amern ->n truck he had noticed along Hte road shortly before he was captured. The Germans readily agr>> d to use that means of transportatio» to their headquarters.-— Upon locating the truck the wounded American was placed it and the Germans and their captives climbed aboard with Pvt. Wickerham at the wheel. Realizing the Germans were unaceostumed to their surroundings he proceed>41 to drive the truck to the Amern.,« lines. Believing that they w r#> enroute to their own lines Ihe j German soldiers-were “unaware of I what was taking place until they I found themselves in the midst o* Americans who quickly overpowc(Continued on Page 6) TO THU CONTRIBUTORS The next issue of the Journaljj will be published on Wednes-i lay. March 28. Contribii-f 'ions for that issue should in not later than March 2.1 Wednesday. Contributions should be typewritten, on one side of the paper on'y, double-spaced, and" not exceed 1200 words, ov 6,000 letters. Address contributions to VERHOVAY JOUR NAL. ENGLISH SECTION, 345 Fourth Ave.,Pittsburgh 22, -Fa,
