Today would have been my father’s 77th birthday.
His adult life was bounded (more or less) on one end by Pearl Harbor in his 16th year, and by 9/11 two days after his 76th birthday.
He joined the Army in 1943, and was PFC and squad leader of an 81mm mortar squad that reached Europe just after the Battle of the Bulge. He was a member of the 66th Infantry Division (“Black Panthers”) and missed being torpedoed on the Leopoldville because he and a buddy decided to stay with their jeep on another transport.
He was awarded the Bronze Star medal — one of 120 such awards in the 66th — for repairing a telephone line to an advanced observation post while under enemy fire.
In his post-army life, he was variously a chemical and mechanical engineer, a mechanical contractor, and a loving husband and father.
He passed away on 15 January 2002, survived by his wife of 50 years and his son, daughter, and grandson. He is sorely missed.
Friends, we are losing the WWII generation, a thousand or more every day. If you know a WWII veteran, honor him or her while there is yet time.
One Reply to “My father”
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My father was Tony J. Schiks. He died 6 years ago. He was also in the 66th infantry with the rank of sergeant. He also recieved a bronze star as well as a purple heart. He did not talk about it until later years.