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name
SOJKA, Donald Blaze - Date of
birth
29 January 1919 -
Age
26 -
Place of birth
South Bend, St. Joseph County, Indiana -
Hometown
South Bend, St. Joseph County, Indiana
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
35152917 -
Rank
Private -
Function
Tank Driver -
Unit
F Company,
67th Armored Regiment,
2nd Armored Division
-
Awards
Bronze Star,
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
28 February 1945 - Place of
death
Sector München-Gladbach-Neuss-Düsseldorf, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Blazej W. Sojka (father)
Mary (Kuczmanski) Sojka (mother)
Raymond Sojka (brother)
More information
Pvt Donald B. Sojka graduated from Central High School in 1938 and was employed by the Peerless Press.He enlisted at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana on 10 February 1941. He was sent overseas in December 1942 and saw action in Tunisia, Algeria, Sicily, France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany.
He lived with his cousin.
He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for actions on 11 November 1944 when he was standing guard in Ubach, Germany. At a certain moment German artillery opened fire and a direct hit set a truck and trailer, loaded with ammunition, afore and the crew fled from the scene. Arousing personnel housed nearby, Pvt Sojka and another sentry drove another truck and trailer loaded with ammunition to a safer place while exploding shells were falling over the area.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov - WWII Enlistment Record, After Action Report CCB, History 67th Armored Regiment, www.ancestry.com - 1940 Census / WWII Draft Card, Vigo County Library, Indiana Michigan Army Casualties - 31 December 1944 / 2 April 1945
Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Fred, www.newspapers.com - The South Bend Tribune - 31 December 1944 / 12 March 1945