RESIDENCE (DURING WWII):
Allison #1, Pennsylvania
FULL NAME:
Frank J. Gondek
ARMY SERIAL NUMBER (ASN):
33294108
- DATE OF BIRTH: Jul 22, 1920
- DATE OF DEATH: May 13, 2007
DATE / PLACE OF ENLISTMENT:
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DATE OF ENLISTMENT:Sept 17, 1942
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PLACE OF ENLISTMENT:Fort George G. Meade, MD
ORGANIZATION:
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MAIN UNIT:38th Infantry Regiment
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SUBUNIT:Company C, 1st Battalion
RANK / POSITION IN UNIT (LAST KNOWN):
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RANK:Private First Class (Pfc.)
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POSITION IN UNIT:Rifleman
BATTLES AND CAMPAIGNS:
✭ Normandy Campaign (6 June – 24 July 1944), ✭ Northern France Campaign (25 July – 14 September 1944), ✭ Ardennes-Alsace Campaign (16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945), ✭ Rhineland Campaign (15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945), ✭ Central Europe Campaign (22 March – 11 May 1945)
DECORATIONS AND CITATIONS (AWARDS):
🎖Good Conduct Medal, 🎖American Campaign Medal, 🎖European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, 🎖WWII Victory Medal
SUMMARY OF HIS SERVICE:
"He went to basic training at Ft. Sam Houston and then was shipped off to Wisconsin (Camp McCoy). He said there they trained to sky, in the event that they had to invade Norway. There, he broke his leg, but healed in time to go to Europe. From there, he trained (according to the Morning Reports) at Camp Cariganshire, Wales.
He then went to Europe either on the 6th during the D-Day invasion or on the 7th (he said he was in the second wave and does not have a spearhead on his Normandy Campaign with his papers). From there, he fought in the campaigns to liberate St. Lo and Brest. He also fought in the Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge. He mentioned a story of an officer being shot on the line, not sure where it was and a new young soldier come to his foxhole on the line. When he returned to the line, the area was sheld and the boy in his hole was KIA. He mentioned that he was able to cross into Germany before the end of the war. He also told me about how him and others were sent to train for the invasion of Japan, which of course never happened.
Pap loved sports, especially the Steelers, the Pirates and the Penguins. He was proud of his service, but had a hard time talking about it until I was about 12 years old. He inspired me to be a history teacher, which I have been doing since 2008." - Dominic DeCarlo, grandson.
