 |
| Sgt. Stephan Piwok earned the Silver Star while serving in the 12th Armored Division in France. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/149764137/stephan-j-piwok http://www.12tharmoredmuseum.com/photoalbum_02.asp?c=17th%20Armored%20Infantry%20Battalion |
Stephan John Piwok never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
Stephan was born on 24 July 1920 in Detroit, Michigan, to Joseph Piwowarczyk (1889-1931) and Sophie Sadus (1898-1974), immigrants from Poland. Joseph and Sophie married on 15 May 1916, in Delray, in southwest Detroit.
In April 1920 when the U.S. Federal Census was taken, Stephan had not yet been born. The Census shows Joseph, a metal worker, and Sophie, renting a home on Pulaski Avenue, Detroit. Living with them were their sons Vladislaw (“Walter”) (age 2) and Joseph (age 1).
In January 1930, when Stephan was eight years old, Joseph and Sophie divorced. A few months later, the 1930 U.S. Federal Census recorded Sophie, now the head of the house, with her three sons, Walter, Joseph, and Stephan (“Steve”) living at 273 Richter Street, in River Rouge, Wayne County.
In 1932, Stephan’s father, who was then working as a coal miner in Pennsylvania, died after being struck by a train in Scranton. Several months later, on 9 August 1931, Sophie married John Grzyb.
By 1940, Stephan’s family had moved to South Edsel Street, where Stephan, now 19, was recorded in the US Federal Census as having completed three years of high school and looking for work.
Two years later, when Stephan registered for the draft on 12 February 1942, his address was 2141 South Beatrice Street, Detroit. He was now working at the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn. He was 5 feet, 11 inches tall, weighed 155 pounds, and had blue eyes, brown hair, and a light complexion. John Grzyb was listedas the person who would always know his address.
All three Piwok boys served in World War II. Joseph and Walter joined the U.S. Navy and served in the Pacific Theater, while Stephan enlisted in the U.S. Army on 28 October 1942 and was assigned to Company C, 17th Armored Infantry Battalion, 12th Armored Division, which fought in Europe in 1944-1945. This division, which was composed of tank, field artillery, motorized infantry battalions and support units, earned the nickname “The Hellcats,” in recognition of its toughness and readiness for combat.
On 10 December 1944, Stephan was killed in action at Bining, a small town in northeast France. He was posthumously awarded a Silver Star for gallantry in action and was credited with saving the lives of many men in his platoon.
In January 1949, Stephan’s mother applied for a bronze marker for his grave. Stephan was buried in White Chapel Memorial Cemetery, Long Lake Road, Birmingham, Michigan.
A few blocks from South Beatrice Street, a park was dedicated to the memory of Staff Sergeant Stephan J. Piwok. Piwok Park still exists. But how many people who play there today realize that it is named for a twenty-one-year-old young man who died in service of his country 76 years ago?
SOURCES
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/149764137/stephan-j-piwok/flower
Photo of Sgt Piwok; Photo of grave marker; Information on posthumous Silver Star Award in story originally postedby Jeff Hall
www.Fold3.com. Application for Headstone; in White Chapel Memorial Park Cemetery, Birmingham, Oakland Co., MichiganLast year on this date I profiled George Baragona, 82nd Airborne. You can read about George 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!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
No comments:
Post a Comment