World War II Honoree

Edward Kenneth Polubinski

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Danbury, Connecticut

Honored By

Josephine Werden

Relationship

Sister

SERVED IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER. ENLISTED 1939. JOINED THE ELITE 'DARBY'S' FIRST RANGER BATTALION (REQUIRED PRIOR SERVICE, TRAINED BY COMMANDOS IN SCOTLAND). RECIPIENT OF 4 BRONZE STARS AND 2 PURPLE HEARTS. SERVED AT DIEPPE WITH CANADIANS, KASSERINE PASS AND AT GAFSA. ACTION AT MESSINA. HIS UNIT HELD OUT 27 DAYS WITH ONLY THREE DAYS RATIONS, BUT THEY HELD THE PASS. LOST 50% OF MEN FROM DISEASE GOING UP THE MOUNTAINS. AT VENSFRO, THEY LOST 80% OF THEIR MEN. AT ANZIO, RANGERS IN ACTION 6 HOURS BEFORE INVASION, 300 AMERICANS TO 15,000 AXIS TROOPS. RANGERS KNOCKED OUT 25 GERMAN TANKS. SERIOUSLY WOUNDED IN THE ARM AS 40% OF RANGERS WERE KILLED IN ACTION. GERMANS THREATENED TO EXECUTE 200 AMERICAN PRISONERS, THEREFORE SURVIVING 60 RANGERS SURRENDERED. PRISONERS OF WAR MARCHED UNTIL SOME DROPPED FROM EXHAUSTION. HONOREE'S ARM WAS AMPUTATED AT GERMAN HOSPITAL WITH OUT ANESTHESIA. CAMP CONDITIONS WERE NOT GOOD. THROUGH THE RED CROSS, HE HAD THE BENEFIT OF A WET DRESSING. LUCKY TO GET A BATH ONCE A MONTH.