2LT Anthony James Kukis

2LT Anthony James Kukis was born 29 Mar 1915 in Kingston, Pennsylvania the youngest of seven children of Andrew and Felixa (Orlowski) Kukis. His parents were both natives of Poland. His father was a coal miner.  Andrew died in 1932. Anthony graduated from Kingston High School in 1934. Anthony moved to California and began working for Sears Roebuck and Company in Los Angeles.

Anthony entered service in October 1941 while living in California.  Married to Gladys Mildred Barisano on 29 Aug 1942. Anthony was certainly exceptional in some way to be selected for officer training before he was sent to England.  He was noted on the morning as "on duty" with K Company on 1 Jun 1944 indicating that he was one of the many "extra" officers assigned to the invasion forces. 2LT Kukis was awarded the Silver Star for his actions on 6 Jun 1944. 

 "In Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944, after successfully leading his section on in fighting its way from the beach to the selected assembly area for his battalion, he found that the rest of the unit had failed to reach the point. Without delay, he contacted remnants of two Ranger battalions, attached his group, which had suffered numerous losses, to this force, and continued in the attack. The forceful leadership, the initiative and courage displayed by him inspired his men to greater efforts and reflect great credit upon himself and the military service."

2LT Kukis was killed in action on 22 Jun 1944.

2LT Kukis was repatriated in 1948 and is buried near his parents in Saint John's Cemetery in Dallas, Pennsylvania.

His wife married Ernest Wayne Smith on 1 May 1946 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Brother, Edmund Chester Kukis, served in the Army from 1941 to 1945.