Honor and Valor A publication of the Olean Times Herald
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MONDAY, MAY 25, 2015
OLEAN TIMES HERALD
OLEAN TIMES HERALD
MONDAY, MAY 25, 2015
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Some of our veterans
Frankln Lewis Duke Center Staff sergeant U.S. Air Force
Robert Zelko West Clarksville Corporal U.S. Army
Anthony Ross Olean Captain U.S. Air Force
Charles Smith Olean Staff sergeant U.S. Air Corps
David Mowatt Olean Pvt. first class U.S. Army
Stephen Kratts Cuba Machinist first mate U.S. Navy
Doug Snyder Olean Sergeant U.S. Army
Jean Taylor Cuba U.S. Coast Guard
Tony Sanzo Olean Private U.S. Army
Donald Potter Great Valley Ammunition handler U.S. Army
Brett Sick Allegany Gunner’s mate second class U.S. Navy
James B. Rowe Portville Engineerman second class U.S. Navy
William Everitt Olean Sergeant U.S. Air Force
James Stark Allegany Equipment operator second class U.S. Navy
Francis E. Miller Olean Private first class U.S. Army
Ferman D. Sweetapple Bradford Warrant officer U.S. Army
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OLEAN TIMES HERALD
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Kenneth D. Ewing Olean Sergeant U.S. Army
Gary R. Snyder Coudersport Specialist 5 U.S. Army
John Everitt Portville Sergeant U.S. Army
Andrew Pockalny Portville Machinist mate seond class U.S. Navy
Peter Pockalny Portville Private first class U.S. Army
Creighton Pockalny Portville E-5 petty officer second class U.S. Navy
Joseph Pockalny Portville Chief petty officer U.S. Navy
Stephen Pockalny Portville Corporal U.S. Army
Robert T. Wunsch Salamanca Staff sergeant U.S. Army
Joseph M. Kwiatkowski Olean Boiler technician U.S. Navy
James Parks Portville Sergeant U.S. Marines
Lawrence Kline Bradford Corporal U.S. Marines
OLEAN TIMES HERALD
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Stephan Gonska Olean Corporal U.S. Marines
Rickard E. Torrey Portville U.S. Navy
W. Michael Torrey Portville U.S. Army
Harold Clayton Allegany Lance corporal U.S. Marines
John Clayton Allegany Sergeant U.S. Army Airborne
James Clark Olean Master sergeant U.S. Army
Gene H. Thurston Olean Staff sergeant U.S. Army Air Force
Kevin Thurston Olean Maintenance chief U.S. Marines
E.C. “Bud” Fortner Olean Technician 4 U.S. Army
Gregg Eaton Olean Sergeant U.S. Army Infantry
Stanley J. Kush Weston’s Mills Lieutenant U.S. Navy
Casey Joseph “CJ” Ash Staff sergeant U.S. Air Force
Leonard C. Bixby Portville U.S. Navy
Robert C. Schwindler Sergeant U.S. Marines
Charles E. Strauss Third class petty officer U.S. Navy
Anthony Richetti Olean Corporal U.S. Army
Michael Holly Olean Sergeant U.S. Army
Gerald T. Mitchell Shinglehouse Sergeant first class U.S. Army
Milford E. Irons Port Allegany Corporal U.S. Marines
Arthur J. Higby Cuba Staff sergeant U.S. Army
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OLEAN TIMES HERALD
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Ronald W. Miller Specialist 5 U.S. Army
Maynard W. Timme Olean U.S. Army
Carl M. Timme Olean Corporal U.S. Air Force
Willard St. Clair Olean Chief electrician mate U.S. Navy
Neil St. Clair Olean Chief warrant electrician U.S. Navy
John Godfrey Jr. Olean Lieutenant U.S. Army
Douglas J. Tuttle Fillmore Specialist 5 U.S. Army
George Lucyszyn Olean Sergeant U.S. Army
Stanley Lucyszyn Olean Staff sergeant U.S. Army
Stephen Lucyszyn Olean Corporal U.S. Army Air Force
Andrew Lucyszyn Olean Fireman first class U.S. Navy
Nicholas Lucyszyn Olean U.S. Navy
Wayne Marsh Little Valley U.S. Marines
Donald Mallery Sr. Olean Corporal U.S. Army
Floyd Rogers Jr. Olean Sergeant U.S. Army
William Zuckerman Olean Staff sergeant U.S. Army Air Force
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Pat Kayes Olean Corporal U.S. Marines
Edward Butinski Olean Platoon sergeant U.S. Marines
Maxon M. Frost Sergeant U.S. Army
Hollis L. Frost Master sergeant U.S. Air Force
Quinten Lee James Officer U.S. Navy
Donald G. Dickerson Millport Sergeant U.S. Army
John “Jack� B. Donnelly Olean U.S. Navy
Thomas F. Donnelly Served during World War I
Stephen Balcerzak Olean Airman U.S. Navy
Phil Balcerzak Olean U.S. Army
Philip Balcerzak Olean Command master chief U.S. Navy
Richard Randall Portville Staff sergeant U.S. Army
Ronald E. Berg Allegany U.S. Army Airborne Div.
Russell Titus Carrollton Private first class U.S. Army
Thomas F. Michienzi Sr. Olean Technician 5 U.S. Army
Frank O. Williams Sr. Olean Machinist mate first class U.S. Navy
Robert Bell Hinsdale Sergeant U.S. Air Force
Robert Dunn First lieutenant fighter pilot U.S. Army Air Corps
Jeff Griswold Richburg Master sergeant U.S. Air Force
Carl F. Frenz Little Valley Staff sergeant U.S. Air Force
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Chester J. Swier Fighter pilot U.S. Army Air Corps
David J. Krahe Olean Sergeant U.S. Army
Kevin L. Batt Portville Infantry drill sergeant U.S. Army
Hugh Paul Allegany Sergeant E-5 U.S. Marines
Shown from left are Tom McKay, E-4, U.S. Air Force; Pete McKay, E-8, U.S. Air Force; Les McKay, E-3, U.S. Army; and Jerry McKay, E-5 , U.S. Navy. All are from Bolivar.
Randy J. Lincoln Angelica Specialist 4 U.S. Army
Thomas F. Donnelly II (left) and Joseph Kwiatkowski (right) were both in the U.S. Navy in World War II. With them is Betty Donnelly.
Charles Mette Olean Staff sergeant U.S. Air Force
Willard J. Hammond Weston’s Mills U.S. Air Force
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n TOP PHOTO ON COVER: Steve Appleby holds a gyroscope for a World War II submarine torpedo which was recently obtained by the Eldred World War II Museum. A 1944 Willys Jeep is on loan to the Eldred World War II Museum. Steve Applyby, the museum’s executive director, said the museum continually gets donations and artifacts on loan.
Photos by George Nianiatus/Olean Times Herald
More artifacts keep rolling into War Museum By GEORGE NIANIATUS Olean Times Herald
ELDRED, Pa. — Virtually each day a World War II artifact of personal or historic significance finds it way into the Eldred World War II Museum in Eldred. The museum has 10 percent of its artifacts on display at any one time from an overall inventory of thousands of items ranging from weapons and personal items to uniforms and vehicles. In fact,
there’s even a submarine telescope display and a replica battlefield.. Called by many as “The Greatest Generation,” the men and women who joined the military in World War II and those who selflessly worked at war-related factories are the primary focus of this unique local museum. The Eldred World War II Museum puts a beaming light on their historic accomplishments and ultimate sacrifices. The museum at 201 Main St., which opened in 1996 and has undergone
two sizeable expansions to accommodate an evergrowing list of donated artifacts, has experienced continued popularity over the years. The museum’s displays include authentic World War II artifacts, automated three-dimensional scale models and award-winning videos. The artifacts are meticulously cataloged and displayed for visitors of all ages. Dedicated to preserving the history of World Please see Museum, page 10
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museum Continued from page 9
War II, the museum commemorates the contributions of Americans and its Allies during the struggles of defending freedom and democracy against the forces of aggression. This museum looks to “remember a generation that fought for freedom — and won,” said museum director Steve Appleby. Pointing to thousands of uniforms, weapons, posters, books and magazines, and World War II-related artifacts, Appleby noted, “Everything is donated.” In fact, people from around the country — and the globe — continually send donations. This requires the museum to have some of its displays on a rotating basis so everything it has can be seen, Appleby said. “You never know what’s going to come in the mail” from artifact donors. Of the war-related artifacts, “We probably have 10 percent on display at any one time,” he said. Among the permanent displays are an array of military uniforms, helmets, rifles and machine guns, the Robert A. Anderson Library with 12,000 books and magazines, a command center with an original switchboard, a submarine periscope, a D-Day display, colorful battle maps and more. The actual weaponry on display is not just from the U.S. military and its Allies. For example, the museum has a Sturmgewehr 44, which is a rifle developed in Nazi Germany during World War II that was the first of its kind and is considered by
many historians to be the earliest modern assault rifle, said Appleby. Meanwhile, young museum visitors can play at Tank Mountain, a scale-model battlefield with remotecontrolled tanks, he noted. Also on display at the museum is a unique photograph of the late Hildegard Strom of Duke Center, Pa., who as a young girl is shown in a picture with Nazi Germany dictator Adolph Hitler at his personal residence in Berchtesgaden, Austria. A new addition to the museum is the Holocaust Room which is continually gathering more artifacts for display, Appleby said. “We need to show people what really happened there.” Not long ago, the museum upgrades its submarine display which has a genuine periscope. The museum was first a dream and then became a reality with help from Tim Roudebush, the museum’s initial board chairman. His father was instrumental in founding the National Munitions Co. in Eldred in 1941 which employed 1,500 workers. A significant friend and artifact donor was the late U.S. Marine Col. (Ret.) Mitchell Paige, a World War II Medal of Honor recipient who has his medal on display as well as many of his Guadalcanal artifacts. He earned the Medal of Honor, the highest military honor that can be awarded, for his actions at the Battle of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands on Oct. 6, 1942. On that fateful day, after all of the other Marines in his platoon were killed or wounded, he operated four machine guns and single-handedly stopped an entire Japanese regi-
Women’s substantial contributions to the war effort is big reason why the museum was created. The site of the former National Munitions Co. in Eldred is a short distance away.
ment. Col. Paige also was awarded the Purple Heart and the Presidential Unit Citation for his actions and
bravery. “People just don’t know what these soldiers went through and what they endured,” Appleby said.
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MONDAY, MAY 25, 2015
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MONDAY, MAY 25, 2015
OLEAN TIMES HERALD