PFC Joseph Peter Waichulonis was born 4 Jun 1916 in Westville, Illinois. He was the youngest of the 2 children born to Peter and Patra (Baraskus) Wacholomus. Both parents were natives of Lithuania. Joseph's father was no longer with the family early in Joseph's life and Patra remarried, officially in 1942. Joseph was working for George Hormel & Company in Chicago. It appears that Joseph may have gone by the last name of "Banis", perhaps because it was a much simpler name for others as shown by the many spellings of "Waichulonis" in official records.
Joseph was drafted and after completing his basic military training was sent to England and assigned to A Company 116th Infantry. He then trained with the unit for the amphibious assault that was to take place on the French beach code-named "Omaha". PFC Waichulonis was killed in action there on 6 Jun 1944.
PFC Waichulonis rests forever in the Normandy American Cemetery. His family has a cenotaph for him in the Saint Aloysius Cemetery in Royalton, Illinois. The photo of Joseph shown here is from that cenotaph.
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