Verhovayak Lapja, 1945 (28. évfolyam, 1-52. szám)
1945 / Verhovay Journal
March 28, 1945 Verhovay Journal Page 3 THE VERHOVAY EPIC... They Gave Their Lives ... T/5 LOUIS J. BODOR Louis J. Bodor T/5 is a member of the oldest Paratroop unit overseas, which has seen action in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, Southern France, Belgium and Germany. This is the first American Paratroop unit ever used in combat and it has been in combat over and over again. This Unit has made the longest combat flight in military history. It is famous of having made the lowest jump ever recorded. T/5 Louis J. Bodor holds the Good Behavior streamer, the Expert Infantryman’s badge, the Expert Combat badge and a Dis- i tinguished Unit Citation. He has been in service for 40 months of which the served 30 131. SGT. JOSEPH TENKE 0 v ' With deep sorrow we present the picture of this young hero, 22 year old Sgt. Joseph Tenke, the first Verhovayan to die on Iwo Jima and the 32nd Verhovay victim of Japanese agression. His parents received the telegram a few days ago, learning that their son died on the 20th of February, 1945, on that little island the occupation of which cost us the lives of 4,000 American soldiers and marines. He was born on February 21, 1923 and was a member of Branch 477, Niles, O., and is the second heroic dead member of this branch. We knew that there are American Hungarians and also Verliovayans among the heroes of Iwo Jima, and there was little to make us hope that we will escape this bloody offensive without a loss. Yet now, that the news of the first fatal casualty of the Verhovay on Iwo Jima has arrived... it hurts... and with this painful sorrow we express our deepest sympathy to the parents and the family of Sgt. Joseph Tenke.. . May they find some comfort in the knowledge that the costly occupation of that tiny island will considerably shorten the war and, thereby, result in the saving of thousands of his comrades’ lives . . . THE MEMORY OF OUR 131 HEROIC DEAD SHALL REMAIN WITH US FOR EVER. Branch 76, Philadelphia, Pa., lost two of its soldier members in quick succession. In the last issue of the Journal we ended this column with the report of the heroic death of Pvt. William A. Kassa, 129th heroic dead member of the Verhovay and the first one from Branch 76. And now for the second time Branch 76 experiences the sorrows of war, for Mr. and Mrs V. Schmidt, of 2034 N. Leithgow St., Philadelphia 22, Pa., received notice from the War Department that their son, Cpl. Henry P. Schmidt, a member of Branch 76, was killed in action in the Philippines on September 7th, 1944. The circumstances of his death are identical with those of the 128th heroic dead member of the Verhovay, Charles Smalko, Jr., of whom we reported in the last issue of the Journal that he went down with a Japanese freighter, loaded with 750 American prisoners of war, and sunk off the western shores of Mindanao on September 7th, 1944. Thus, tragic fate has thrown two Verhovayans together on the same ship which was to become the grave for more than 700 American prisoners of war who previously have been held at a prison camp near Davao. Mindanao and who were crowded on a small Japanese freighter when the victoriously approaching WHAT A RECORD T/Sgt. PAUL BARA, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Bara, of 1601 Hana Street, New Castle, Pa., a member of Branch 66, has a record which has few equals in Verhovay military annals. He returned recently to the United States after 16 months’ service in the European theatre of war, and is stationed at present at the Amarillo Army Air Field in Texas. He was a tail gunner on a heavy bomber with the Eighth Air Force and flew 35 missions. He has been awarded the DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS, the AIRMEDAL WITH THREE OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, PRESIDENTIAL CITATION, TWO BATTLE STARS and the E.T.O. RIBBON. T/Sgt. Paul Bara destroyed an enemy aircraft, ME 109, hit Berlin three times, Bremen three times, Hamburg twice and Frankfurt three times. He spent nine weeks in England with a broken left arch which was sustained when he parachuted from a plane while returning from a bombing mission over Germany. Certainly Mr. Joseph Bara, a long-time officer of Branch 66, and his wife must be proud of their son who distinguished himself in a fashion that calls for the respect of all of his fellowmembers. Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Bara, who gave their adopted country a real hero in their son. Their reward is that he returned safely and continues to serve his country by giving the benefit of his experience to his younger comrades. By the way, the brother of our distinguished Sergeant doesn’t seem to be doing so badly, either. He participated in all the major campaigns in Africa, Sicily, Corsica, Italy, and is now on the front-line in Germany! May he return safely, too! ONE OF THE FIRST PARATROOPERS! overseas. He had been missing in action in 1943. The story of his return to his unit must remain a secret until after the war. He had a very narrow escape in the invasion of Southern France in 1944, another close call at St. Vithe, Belgium, in January, 1945, but—as he says—with the help of God he was saved and with the same strong faith in God he is still serving his country on the front. Louis J. Bodor and his sister, Ethel, became members of Branch 89, Homestead, Pa., at the time when the Verhovay F.I.A. organized the Junior Department. At that time his father secured 49 juvenile members of Branch 89. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Bodor of 7442 Trevanion Str., Swissvale, Pa., have been members of the Verhovay for the last 30 years. They took active part in the activities of the branch and for 14 years served as assistants of the secretary of Branch 89, in Rankin, Braddock, and Swissvale . The grandparents of Louis J. Bodor, the late Mr. and Mrs. Louis Csepregi were charter members of Branch 7, Pricedale, Pa., and at the time of the death of Mr. Csepregi, in 1938, both were members of Branch 36> Detroit, Mich. We take great pride in relating the story of these outstanding Verhovayans and their heroic soln . . . somehow they seem to offer an example of everything that is great in American Hungarians. In fraternal and social life as well as in patriotism they have made themselves a record of which we are proud. It is good to be a Verhovayan ... a great number of grand people belong to this Association.----------V---------There is no defeat except from within. There is really no insurmountable barrier save your own inherent weakness of purpose. —Ralph Waldo Emerson KATHRYN R. FURY A member of Branch 503 before it became a part of the Verhovay family (503 was originally the Ifjúsági Kor), Kathryn has joined the services and is serving with the American Red Cross. Her present assignment is in a hospital in England. PVT. JAMES P. VAJDA, Pvt. James P. Vajda, son of Mrs. Esther Vajda, 1107 McClure St. Munhall, Pa., and a member of Branch 430, is stationed at Truax Field, Madison, Wisconsin, fie enlisted in Spring ef 1944. 130. CPL. HENRY P. SCHMIDT armies of General MacArthur endangered the Japs’ hold on their unfortunate prisoners. We wonder if these two young Verhovayans had a chance to meet at the prison-camp and whether they found out that they were members of the same brotherhood... And if so, did they succeed in developing a friendship that could sustain them during the terrible years of imprisonment and in the tragic hour when the ship went down with them...? These are sad questions for which there is no answer. AH we know is that both Charles Smalko, Jr., and Cpl. Henry P. Schmidt were “expendables” who during the bloody battles on the Philippines succeeded in slowing the ‘ advance of the Japanese armies, thus enabling the stunned forces of America to rally and prepare for the great battles of retaliation which have brought back MacArthur to the Philippines and the American armies as far as Iw o Jima... Henry P. Schmidt was horn in the city of Brotherly Love on May 22, 1919 and met his tragic end at the age of 25. To Mr. and Mrs. V. Schmidt, the parents of our 130th hero, we express the deepest sympathy of the Verhovay F. I. Association. May they find some measure of comfort by looking at the Cross of Christ whose horrible death caused his mother as much sorrow as their son’s tragic death caused them Henry P. Schmidt was the 31st Verhovayan who lost his life in the Pacific theatre of war.
