SSG Tony Joseph Sokolowski

SSG Tony Joseph Sokolowski was born 5 Dec 1918 in Utica, New York. He was the 6th of the 7 children born to Ladislaus Edward "Walter" and Eleanor L. (Niewicz) Sokolowski. Both parents were natives of Poland. They had come to Utica soon after immigrating and his father worked in a foundry. Unfortunately, Walter died in 1928 at the age of 43 and Eleanor went to work in a knitting mill to support her family as did Tony's older brother and an older sister took a job as a servant in a private home. In 1940, at age 22, Tony was working in a clothing mill owned by the Fort Schuyler Knitting company and earning a reported 1939 income of $700 while still living at home. Tony married Cecelia Elizabeth "Betty" Alsheimer in September 1941.

Tony was drafted in May 1942 and had his basic military training at Camp Croft, South Carolina before going to England in September 1942. Assigned to L Company 116th Infantry, PVT Sokolowski participated in all the training with the regiment to prepare for the amphibious landing planned as a part of the liberation of occupied France. PVT Sokolowski was playing football in Novermber 1942 when he broke his shoulder blade, and injury that was ruled as being in line of duty.  However that sent him to hospital where he stayed until December 1942. By 6 Jun 1944 and the landing at Omaha Beach, he had been promoted to PFC and after the losses in the fighting he was promoted to SGT on 20 Jun 1944. He continued to fight with his unit through the bocage, at Saint-Lo and Vire and in the campaign to liberate Brest. SGT Sokolowski was promoted to SSG on 5 Sep 1944. He then led a rifle squad through the fighting that carried the unit into Germany at Aachen, Baesweiler, Setterich until he was killed in action on 20 Nov 1944 near Engelsdorf, Germany.

SSG Sokolowski was repatriated in 1949 and re-interred in the Holy Trinity Cemetery in Yorkville, New York.

One brother served in WW2.  Stanley Edward Sokolowski served as a PVT in the U.S. Army in the Aleutian islands for almost 2 years.