World War II Honoree

Sylvester Antolak

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

St. Clairsville, Ohio

Honored By

Travis Antolak

Relationship

Grand Nephew

Enlisted at Fort Hayes, Columbus, Ohio on July 31, 1941, and served until Killed In Action during the Allied invasion of Italy near Cisterna di Littoria in the Rome-Arno battle campaign on May 24, 1944. Served with Company B, 1st Battalion, 15th (Can Do) Infantry Regiment, 3rd (Rock of the Marne) Infantry Division, 5th U.S. Army. Sailed from Norfolk, Virginia on October 24, 1942 for French Morocco. Experienced heavy combat with the 15th Regiment in the Algiers/French Morocco, Sicily and Italian campaigns. Prior to being killed in action heavy combat included Fedala (now Mohammedia) in Morocco in the Casablanca-Settat region in November 1942; at Licata, the Allied invasion of Sicily, called Operation Husky, at Mollarella and Podicia beaches in July 1943; at Salerno, Italy in November 1943 and at Anzio, Italy in January 1944. Earned the Medal of Honor, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, Europe-Africa-Middle East Medal with 3 bronze campaign stars and arrowhead for two amphibious assaults, the World War II Victory Medal, as well as the Combat Infantryman Badge and three overseas service stripes. Buried at the American Battle Monuments Sicily-Rome Cemetery (C-12-13) at Nettuno, Italy. By the end of the war, the 15th Regiment had 16 Medal of Honor recipients. It's casualties included 1633 killed and 419 Missing in Action, The Medal of Honor was presented to his mother at St. Clairsville, Ohio, on November 1, 1945. The citation read: "The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, … for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty… he charged 200 yards over flat, coverless terrain to destroy an enemy machinegun nest during the second day of the offensive which broke through the German cordon of steel around the Anzio beachhead. Fully 30 yards in advance of his squad, he ran into withering machinegun, machine-pistol and rifle fire. Three times he was struck by bullets and knocked to the ground, but each time he struggled to his feet to continue his relentless advance. With one shoulder deeply gashed and his right arm shattered, he continued to rush directly into the enemy fire concentration with his submachine gun wedged under his uninjured arm until within 15 yards of the enemy strong point, where he opened fired at deadly close range, killing two Germans and forcing the remaining ten to surrender. He reorganized his men and, refusing to seek medical attention so badly needed, chose to lead the way toward another strong point 100 yards distant. Utterly disregarding the hail of bullets concentrated upon him, he had stormed ahead nearly three-fourths of the space between strong points when he was instantly killed by hostile enemy fire. Inspired by his example, his squad went on to overwhelm the enemy troops. By his supreme sacrifice, superb fighting courage, and heroic devotion to the attack, he was directly responsible for eliminating 20 Germans, capturing an enemy machinegun, and clearing the path for his company to advance. "