PFC William Peter Kotchick was born 9 Jun 1924 in Maine, New York the youngest of six children of Michael and Veronica (Vovcsik) Perilla. His father had immigrated from Austria and his mother from what is now Ukraine. Unfortunately, William's mother died in 1925 at the age of 41 and the children were likely sent to live with various family members. William was adopted by his mother's nephew and became the third of six children of Joseph and Irene M. (Schlossar) Kotchick. They were also natives of the Austria-Hungarian Empire. William's adoptive father worked in a shoe factory and managed a restaurant, creamery, store, was a real entrepreneur. By all accounts, Irene raised William as one of her own. He graduated from Union-Endicott High School and went to work for International Business Machines Corporation.
William was drafted in March 1943. After his initial training Fort Eustis, Virginia, William was stationed at several other posts before being sent to Europe. He was already a PFC when transferred from the replacement depot to F Company 116th Infantry on 24 Oct 1944. PFC Kotchick was killed in action one month later on 25 Nov 1944.
PFC Kotchick is buried in the
Netherlands American Cemetery.
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