PFC John Jukas 117th Inf Reg 30 Inf Div Old Hickory

Hi Guys,

I adopted another grave at the Henri Chapelle Cemetary in Belgium, that of PFC John Jukas from Penssylvania KIA January 22nd 1945 and awarded Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

Can anyone help with me research ?

 

Way to go Cas, how many have you already adopted now?

a few links in case you haven't seen them yet.

http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?gl=bmd_death&rank=1&new=1&so=1&MSAV=0&msT=1&gss=ms_f-2_s&gsfn=John&gsln=Jukas&msypn__ftp=FL

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid='56282511'&ref=wvr

http://www.adoptiegraven-database.nl/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14616:JUKAS-JOHN&catid=133:not-listed-in-henri-chapelle--j&Itemid=192

http://sortedbyname.com/pages/j104364.html

 

Thanks Skipper, I missed the sortedbyname link, Ancestry is no help for me since I don't have an account..... perhaps anyone does

I currently have 2 graves on Margraten (both in contact with the family) and 5 on Henri Chapelle, with a request for one more pending

 

Thank you!

 

From www.abmc.gov website, his ASN is 33621051. Here is his NARA electronic enlistment record:

View attachment 18971

 

I just came across some additional info:

From: Schuylkill County's Hero Dead of WWII in the Pottsville Republican newspaper:

Presumably, John Jukas was known as Edward locally in Schuylkill County. His full name may have been John Edward Jukas or perhaps Edward John Jukas. Apparently, his mother was living in Kaska, Pennsylvania which is a very small town in Schuylkill County.

I would recommend requesting his IDPF which may help clear up some of these points.

 

I'm pretty sure John & Edward are the same person. It's not likely that a John Jukas and an Edward Jukas from the same small town would be KIA in France on the same day. However, its not impossible either, I suppose.

 

Here's John Jukas' page on Find a Grave which also has a picture of his marker at Henri-Chapelle. It doesn't shed any more light on the matter, but I thought it was worth posting.

 

Thanks guys for all the effort, I mailed the library in Pottsville and see what comes up.

I'm certain that pvt Jukas wasn't killed in France but in Belgium, since the 30 Inf Div was active in the Battle of the Bulge at that time.

I'm curious about the bronze star.

LRusso216, thanks for doing the search for family ! I apriciate it very much !

 

I should have copied this earlier for Cas. We know that Private Jukas was in the 117th, but he is not listed in the 1st Battalion history, so was either 2nd or 3rd Battalion - histories that I do not have in my possession.

At any rate, the images below are the from 117th history. January, 1945, after the clash with the Leibstandarte in and around the Ambleve River, is remembered as the most miserable period of the entire war for Old Hickory. The 30th was engaged in a series of frontal assaults to push the Germans out of Belgium, a strategy that has garnered a lot of criticism over the years - why no encirclement to leave them cut off in the Ardennes? There were many casualties to simple hypothermia and frostbite since they had not been issued winter gear prior to the move south in December.

On the 22nd, the 2nd Battalion attacked and took Rodt, Belgium. This might well be where John Edward Jukas died.









I've posted this illuminating Medical Department 22 January entry before.

Monday
22 January 1945

Today we had a number of prisoners brought in. Trenchfoot and frostbite seems to their problem, and they have a very good reason.

When we first came into this sector we had a number of atrocities committed to our our men, by the Germans, and this made our men fighting mad. Then they would capture Germans, and find them to be wearing our GI shoes. That was just too much. When they capture any Germans the fellows down on the front lines make them take off their shoes, and walk back in their bare feet in the snow. This serves two purposes. One is to make them sorry they are Germans and then it is a good way to keep them from escaping.

Casualties to Date:
Division - 20741
Civilians - 786
Enemy - 1575
Other - 2768
Total - 25870

 

It is very possible that the newspaper was either given the wrong location or reported it wrong. Hopefully the library can clear up the name issue. He likely would have received the CIB and by virtue of that been eligible for the BSM. However, that was a post-war upgrade. So, unless the was added later, he would have received it for some particular action.

 

TD-Tommy776 would you be so kind to explain the CIB and BSM abriviations, I have no clue to their meaning....

BSM (Bronze Star Medal ?)

Thanks for helping guys it means a lot !

 

Thanks LRusso216,

I received a reply from the Library , with excuses of the librarian for reply so late. Apperently it had been caughed in the spamfilter.

She's going to do some research, just have to wait I guess.....

 

In additon (I'm on my luch break now) I found this while googling the name John Jukas

http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/rg/di/r45_MineAccidentRegisters/AnthraciteJs1924_1932.pdf

Perhaps this could be his father, since it wasn't listed on 1940 census that LRusso216 posted ?

 

That would make perfect sense. If his father was also named John, that would mean his son would be John Jukas, Jr. It would then make perfect sense that he was known in his hometown as Edward, presumably his middle name. And his father's death in a mining accident in 1929 would explain why only his mother is mentioned in the county's listing of WWII KIAs.

Another point made earlier is that he was killed in Belgium & not France. It does not surprise me that they would have gotten the country wrong. This is not a reflection on Belgium, but on the lack of geographical familiarity with Europe.