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| Seaman First Class John Grudzina served in the 133rd Naval Construction Battalion at Iwo Jima. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/109024881/john-b-grudzina https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Mobile_Construction_Battalion_133 |
John B. Grudzina never had a chance to reach 100 years old. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
I began this project on January 1, 2017. It will conclude on September 2, 2020, the 75th anniversary of the end of World War 2. During the intervening time, a different fallen serviceman was profiled every day on his 100th birthday. I have decided to round out the project by profiling one of the fallen born between December 7, 1916 and December 31, 1916. This will result in one of the fallen being profiled for every day America was engaged in World War 2. The total will be 1,366 men and women. That's enough for only 13 stars out of the 4,048 on the Freedom Wall of the World War II Memorial.
John was born on December 12, 1916 in New Jersey. His parents were both born in Poland. By 1930, his parents had divorced. John and his older brother lived with their mother. She had a ironing job in a laundry. By 1940 John had completed four years of high school. He worked as an insurance agent. At some point he married Irene Pokrzywinski.
He volunteered for the US Navy in July 1943 and served in US Naval Construction Battalions, better known as the SeaBees. He reached the rank of seaman 1st class in the 133rd Naval Construction Battalion. The 133rd NCB was attached to the 4th Marine Division for the assault on Iwo Jima. Its role was to make the airstrips on the island operational as soon as possible.
On February 19, 1945, the first day of the battle, the 133rd NCB arrived on the black sand Iwo Jima beach around 9:20 am. It was an inopportune time to be on the beach, for that was the time the Japanese decided that the beach was full enough to result in high American casualties. Enemy artillery killed or wounded hundreds of men. Seaman Grudzina was one of those killed on this first day of the battle. He was one of forty-two 133rd NCB Seabees who were killed on Iwo Jima.
His grave is at St Adalberts Cemetery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I don't know what happened to his widow.
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
Thank you, John Grudzina, for making the ultimate sacrifice for we who enjoy the freedom that you fought and died for. May God bless you.
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