WW2 Fallen - Stanley Janik, 82nd Airborne Division

Stanley Janik served with these men from the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment in the Battle of the Bulge.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54781400
http://17th-airborne-in-the-bulge.eklablog.com/the-battle-of-the-bulge-p195803 

Stanislaw M. Janik never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

Stanislaw (Stanley) was born December 31, 1918 in Chicopee, Massachusetts. His parents Wojciech and Kathryn were immigrants from Poland, and both worked in a cotton mill. He had one older brother, one older sister, and a younger sister. In 1940, Stanley was living at home with his parents, had completed one year of high school, and was working as a laborer for a paper supply company.

Stanley enlisted in the US Army in May 1942 and volunteered for airborne infantry. He completed initial training in August 1942 at Camp Croft, South Carolina, and earned his paratrooper wings at Fort Benning, Georgia as a member of Company F of the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment. The 507th PIR was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division and arrived in England in late 1943 and began training for the invasion of Normandy.

Pfc Janik made his first combat jump into France in the early morning hours of D-Day June 6, 1944. The 507th PIR was tasked to help secure the Merderet River crossings to prevent German forces from reaching the Normandy beaches, however the unit was widely scattered due to clouds and intense flak and was unable to reach their objective. The 507th sustained heavy casualties in the Battle of Normandy before being withdrawn in July to refit.

Upon their return to England, the 507th was reassigned to the 17th Airborne Division, and underwent additional training. The 507th was redeployed to France on Christmas Day 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge, and participated in counterattacks against the Germans in January and early February 1945. On February 7, 1945 Pfc. Janik was killed in action on a mission across the Oeur River into Dasburg, Germany.

Stanislaw M. Janik was initially buried in Luxembourg and was reinterred in Mater Dolorosa Cemetery, South Hadley Falls, Massachusetts.

Thank you Pfc. Janik for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Stanley.
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This profile was written by Bob Fuerst. "I’m a NASA engineer, B-17 Flying Fortress enthusiast, and amateur genealogist so this kind of research is an ideal outlet for me. But more than anything, it’s a way to express my sincere appreciation for The Greatest Generation and the sacrifices that they made, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice. They should never be forgotten and I’m grateful to Don for allowing me to play a small part in honoring them."

Last year on this date I profiled Herman "Bing" Bang of the 44th Infantry Division. You can read about Herman here.

On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!

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http://www.tggf.org