World War II Honoree

Chester Paczkowski

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Jersey City, New Jersey

Honored By

Mr. Richard Pace

Relationship

Nephew

INDUCTED INTO THE U.S. ARMY AT FORT DIX, WRIGHTSTOWN, NEW JERSEY MARCH 11, 1942 AT AGE 22. ASSIGNED TO THE 52ND STATION HOSPITAL ACTIVATED MAY 7, 1942, AT FORT HANCOCK, NEW JERSEY WHERE THE SOLDIERS LIVED IN TENTS ON THE SANDY HOOK PENINSULA. MOVED TO A STAGING AREA AT CAMP KILMER, STELTON, NEW JERSEY ON NOVEMBER 24, 1942. UNIT WAS ATTACHED TO THE 12TH GENERAL HOSPITAL. EMBARKED FROM ARMY PIER 11, STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK ON DECEMBER 12, 1942 AT 0850 HOURS ONBOARD THE TRANSPORT SHIP USS ELIZABETH C. STANTON AP-69 IN A LARGE CONVOY THAT ZIGZAGGED ACROSS THE OCEAN TO NORTH AFRICA. THEY DEBARKED AT THE U.S. NAVAL OPERATING BASE AT THE BOMBED PORT OF ORAN, ALGERIA ON DECEMBER 26, 1942 AND SAW A GERMAN MESSERSCHMITT 109 FIGHTER PLANE ATTACK THE HARBOR. THEY MARCHED 5 MILES TO AIN-EL-TURCK, ALGERIA WHERE THE 12TH GENERAL HOSPITAL SET UP IN 105 SMALL BUILDINGS. HE SERVED AS A MEDICAL TECHNICIAN AND ASSISTED MEDICAL OFFICERS IN THE CARE AND TREATMENT OF THE SICK, INJURED AND WOUNDED. HE GAVE EMERGENCY MEDICAL TREATMENT TO CASUALTIES AND PREPARED THEM FOR EVACUATION. CLEANED AND BANDAGED INJURIES AND WOUNDS, APPLIED ARM AND LEG SPLINTS, ADMINISTERED HYPODERMIC INJECTIONS AND TREATED MINOR INJURIES. BETWEEN JANUARY 13, 1943 TO DECEMBER 3, 1943 A TOTAL OF 10,870 PATIENTS WERE ADMITTED. ENEMY ARTILLERY, MORTAR AND SNIPER FIRE WERE THE CAUSE OF MOST MEDICAL PERSONNEL CASUALTIES. MEDICS STARTED PAINTING A RED CROSS IN A WHITE CIRCLE ON THE SIDES OF THEIR STEEL HELMETS DURING MID-1943 IN NORTH AFRICA. THEIR UNIT WAS ALERTED FOR OVERSEAS MOVEMENT TO ITALY AND PATIENTS WERE EVACUATED. ON DECEMBER 15, 1943 THEY EMBARKED FROM THE NEARBY BOMBED HARBOR AT MERS-EL-KEBIR, ALGERIA ONBOARD THE SS CAMERONIA, SERVING AS A BRITISH TROOPSHIP. THEY DEBARKED AT THE BADLY DAMAGED PORT OF NAPLES, ITALY ON DECEMBER 19, 1943. THE WINTER BROUGHT BITTER WEATHER AND ALLIED SOLDIERS ENDURED ICY WINDS AND TORRENTIAL RAINS. ABOUT 40 GERMAN PLANES BOMBED NAPLES ON MARCH 5, 1944. THERE WERE GERMAN AIR RAIDS OVER NAPLES AGAIN ON APRIL 24, 1944 AND MAY 14, 1944. JUNE 4, 1944 ROME FELL TO THE U.S. 5TH ARMY. ON JUNE 16, 1944 THE 12TH GENERAL HOSPITAL REGROUPED AND OCCUPIED THE CASERMA PIETRALATA 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF ROME. HE HAD A REUNION WITH HIS OLDER BROTHER AT NAPLES IN AUGUST 1944. ON NOVEMBER 1, 1944 THE NORTH AFRICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS WAS RE-DESIGNATED AS THE MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS. ON NOVEMBER 12, 1944 THEY EMBARKED FROM THE PORT OF NAPLES ONBOARD THE U.S. ARMY HOSPITAL SHIP SHAMROCK. THEY DEBARKED AT LEGHORN (LIVORNO) IN NORTHERN ITALY ON NOVEMBER 25, 1944 AND THE 12TH GENERAL HOSPITAL OCCUPIED 23 BOMBED BUILDINGS ON THE BEACH 6 MILES NORTH OF LEGHORN (LIVORNO). STILL STRUNG WITH BARBED WIRE AND NOT CLEARED OF PANCAKE MINES THE BEACH WAS ALWAYS DESERTED. BETWEEN DECEMBER 3, 1944 TO JULY 6, 1945 THEY ADMITTED 7,881 PATIENTS. AWARDED A MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENDATION. AS A PART OF OPERATION MAGIC CARPET HE EMBARKED FROM ITALY FOR A SECOND TIME ON OCTOBER 12, 1945 AND DEBARKED AT THE PORT OF NEW YORK ON NOVEMBER 1, 1945. BATTLES AND CAMPAIGNS: NAPLES-FOGGIA 1943-1944 AND ROME-ARNO 1944. DECORATIONS: GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AMERICAN THEATER, EASTERN DEFENSE COMMAND, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 2 BRONZE SERVICE STARS AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED ON NOVEMBER 11, 1945 AT THE ARMY SEPARATION CENTER, FORT DIX, WRIGHTSTOWN, NEW JERSEY.