PFC John E. Kozak

PFC John E. Kozak was born 28 Apr 1917 in Thompson, Pennsylvania to Paul and Ann (Ruedes) Kozak. Both parents were natives of Austria-Hungary but no further details have been found. His father worked as a blacksmith. John's mother died 8 Dec 1922, his father died 1 Sep 1927.  His oldest sister and her husband, Mary and Paul Steiner, became his guardians and he was living with them in 1940.  In 1940 they were living in Franklin, Pennsylvania and John was working as a loader in a coal mine.  His reported 1939 income was $150.

After John entered the service he was sent to England and assigned to D Company 116th Infantry.  He trained with that unit for the sea-borne invasion of "fortress Europe".  PFC Kozak was killed in action on 6 Jun 1944 in the midst of the amphibious assault. 

PFC Kozak was repatriated in 1948 and is buried in the Grafton National Cemetery in Grafton, West Virginia.