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WILLIAM GACEK


(Traverse City Record-Eagle, Traverse City, MI, Sep 17, 1957)


(The News-Palladium, Benton Harbor, MI, Sep 18. 1957)

(courtesy of Douglas Day)
First row - News articles recounting death of William Gacek who was killed when he fell through a skylight while working as a roofer.

Second row - Headstone application and resulting marker for William Gacek in the White Cloud Cemetery, White Cloud, Michigan .  Note that the application initially stated that he was a member of the 508th Medical Detachment and also the 507th Medical Battalion.  Both entries were redlined and a remark to see the reverse side was entered.  Unfortunately, the reverse image is not available but the grave marker entry states 307th Airborne Medical Battalion which should indicate his last unit assignment.  Note also that the cemetery is entered as Prospect Hill but it has since been renamed as the White Cloud Cemetery.

Pvt Gacek was transferred into Service Company, 508th PIR from Hq 19th Replacement Depot on 17 June 1944.  On 14 July 1944 he was then transferred into the Medical Detachment.

Pvt Gacek jumped into Holland on 17 September 1944 and was wounded in action there on 16 October.  In fact, he may have been wounded twice that same day as his name appears on two separate orders awarding the Purple Heart.

Pvt Gacek was appointed to the rank of Pfc on 18 December 1944, the same day that the regiment was mobilized for the Battle of The Bulge.  It was in Belgium that he was wounded in action for the second time on 7 January 1945.

It is not known when he transferred from the 508th but it was probably in the second half of 1945.

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