Richard A. Krusinski
Technician 5th Grade
738 Military Police Battalion, Company D
Philippines ’43-‘46
Technician 5th Grade
738 Military Police Battalion, Company D
Philippines ’43-‘46
Richard “Dick” Krusinski was born November 23, 1924 in Hazleton, PA. Coal was the major industry at that time and the population of Hazelton peaked at approximately 40,000 in 1940. Dick’s father was a coal miner as were several uncles. Dick remembers one uncle was a mule driver, taking the mules down into the mine. Dick’s mother was at home raising his 3 brothers and sister.
When Dick was 16 the family needed money and Dick headed east to Bridgeport, CT to live with an uncle and find employment. Dick skipped his last two years of high school and found a job at the local General Electric plant assembling radios for the home use. Dick enjoyed his time at GE, but he was drafted by the Army in July of 1943. I asked him if he was scared as he headed off to war. He said, “no, everyone was going”.
He initially was sent to FT. Devin in Massachusetts but after a month he was sent to FT. Custer in Michigan for basic training. After three months of basic training he became part of the Military Police (MP). He was part of Company D and they were sent to Angel Island in San Francisco where they boarded the USS America and headed to Sidney Australia and then to New Guinea. From there preparations were made for the invasion of the Philippines.
Dick headed to the Battle of Leyet in late 1944. His MP Battalion was part of the secondary wave. “I couldn’t believe how bad the Navy bombarded that place”. Dick believes he was on Leyet for a short time before heading to the Battle of Luzon in early 1945. “Everything was moving fast at that time.” The heavy fighting on Luzon lasted until late February or early March. By that time the Americans controlled all of the economically and strategically important locations. Dick was again part of a secondary wave of US GI’s on Luzon.
Although the American’s controlled Luzon, many of the Japanese retreated into the mountains and continued to harass the America’s. While guarding Santo Tomas University the Japanese began an artillery barrage. The exploding ordinance caused a fire and as Dick rushed to put it out, he was hit with shrapnel. Dick described his injuries as superficial, but he received a Purple Heart. “The blast blew off my glasses and my carbine. I was lucky.” Dick was quickly back at his post and remained on Luzon until the war ended. He headed home in November of 1945 and was discharged on January 23, 1946. I asked Dick if he was ever worried. “Never worried” he replied.
When Dick returned home, he went back to work at GE and completed his high school degree at night. He enrolled at UCONN to study accounting but after two years he married Dorothy in 1948. Dick passed the test for the US Postal Service and left UCONN for a career in the Postal Transportation division. He found himself working in Penn Station in Manhattan and he and Dorothy decided to move to Levittown, NY on Long Island. Levittown was a planned community designed to fill the large demand for affordable housing by returning US GI’s. While living in Levittown Dick went to stay with a friend in the Bronx. He remembers walking down the street to Yankee Stadium and paying $2.00 to watch the Yankees play the Phillies in the 1950 World Series.
Dick and Dorothy remained there until 1950 when Dorothy’s mother passed away and they returned to Milford CT before settling in Bridgeport. Dick remembers attending the Danbury Fair in 1961 the afternoon Roger Maris hit his 61st homerun to break Babe Ruth’s record. Dick and Dorothy were married for 71 years before Dorothy passed away 3 years ago. They had two sons who both live near Dick, Dick resides in his home of the past 61 years.
Dick helped save the world, but like all of the others, he didn’t think it was such a big deal!
When Dick was 16 the family needed money and Dick headed east to Bridgeport, CT to live with an uncle and find employment. Dick skipped his last two years of high school and found a job at the local General Electric plant assembling radios for the home use. Dick enjoyed his time at GE, but he was drafted by the Army in July of 1943. I asked him if he was scared as he headed off to war. He said, “no, everyone was going”.
He initially was sent to FT. Devin in Massachusetts but after a month he was sent to FT. Custer in Michigan for basic training. After three months of basic training he became part of the Military Police (MP). He was part of Company D and they were sent to Angel Island in San Francisco where they boarded the USS America and headed to Sidney Australia and then to New Guinea. From there preparations were made for the invasion of the Philippines.
Dick headed to the Battle of Leyet in late 1944. His MP Battalion was part of the secondary wave. “I couldn’t believe how bad the Navy bombarded that place”. Dick believes he was on Leyet for a short time before heading to the Battle of Luzon in early 1945. “Everything was moving fast at that time.” The heavy fighting on Luzon lasted until late February or early March. By that time the Americans controlled all of the economically and strategically important locations. Dick was again part of a secondary wave of US GI’s on Luzon.
Although the American’s controlled Luzon, many of the Japanese retreated into the mountains and continued to harass the America’s. While guarding Santo Tomas University the Japanese began an artillery barrage. The exploding ordinance caused a fire and as Dick rushed to put it out, he was hit with shrapnel. Dick described his injuries as superficial, but he received a Purple Heart. “The blast blew off my glasses and my carbine. I was lucky.” Dick was quickly back at his post and remained on Luzon until the war ended. He headed home in November of 1945 and was discharged on January 23, 1946. I asked Dick if he was ever worried. “Never worried” he replied.
When Dick returned home, he went back to work at GE and completed his high school degree at night. He enrolled at UCONN to study accounting but after two years he married Dorothy in 1948. Dick passed the test for the US Postal Service and left UCONN for a career in the Postal Transportation division. He found himself working in Penn Station in Manhattan and he and Dorothy decided to move to Levittown, NY on Long Island. Levittown was a planned community designed to fill the large demand for affordable housing by returning US GI’s. While living in Levittown Dick went to stay with a friend in the Bronx. He remembers walking down the street to Yankee Stadium and paying $2.00 to watch the Yankees play the Phillies in the 1950 World Series.
Dick and Dorothy remained there until 1950 when Dorothy’s mother passed away and they returned to Milford CT before settling in Bridgeport. Dick remembers attending the Danbury Fair in 1961 the afternoon Roger Maris hit his 61st homerun to break Babe Ruth’s record. Dick and Dorothy were married for 71 years before Dorothy passed away 3 years ago. They had two sons who both live near Dick, Dick resides in his home of the past 61 years.
Dick helped save the world, but like all of the others, he didn’t think it was such a big deal!