Nicholas POLACHEK

Married: Melba
Parents:Louis & Eva POLACHEK
Brothers:
Steve POLACHEK
( 37^th Inf Reg)

Franck POLACHEK
( A-20 mechanic us army air corps)
Michael POLACHEK

CEMTERY TEMPORARY of  Ste Mère Eglise N°1

Story of Cemetery Temporary  

Map of Normandy American Cemetery

Nicholas worked for the company AMERICAN STEEL AND WIRE

The division was reactivated on March 25, 1942 and became Airborne Division on August 15 following.
She trained first at Camp Clairborn in Louisiana under Major General Omar Bradley and then at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

Paratrooper training at FORT BRAGG NORTH CAROLINA

Transfer to Great Britain in April 1943.

During his jump on Salerno, Nicholas was missing for 28 days.

He landed in the mountains above Salerno.

It took 28 days to find his unit.

The 82nd Airborne Division will pass through Casablanca (training), Sicily (engagement-fight), Gela TUNISIA (Re-equipment), Comiso Licata Castelvetrano Trapani Airport SICILY (engagement-fight).
Salerno Naples Anzio ITALY (engagement-fight) Belfast (training).

May 26, 1944 The mission of the 82nd is set: Take control of the surroundings of St Sauveur le Vicomte, to prevent German forces from blocking units landed at Utah Beach.

The first drops take place on June 6 between 1:51 and 2:08. Dropout losses 272 men.

On June 06, 1944 Nicholas lands northwest of Ste Mother Church with another par. The 2 men join La Forge Pascal rallying point of the paras.

Nicholas was radio.

While trying to pass his radio to his partner, it accidentally pulls on him.

Nicholas was hit in the stomach.

He was taken to a farm in FRESVILLE occupied by the LEVAVASSEUR family.

Nicholas died on this farm.

The family LEVAVASSEUR buried it temporarily on their farm located at Mont de Fresville in RAVENOVILLE.

His body was exhumed a month later.

The first telegram received by his wife said he was MISSING IN ACTION.

Info from CLEVELAND PRESS AND PLAIN DEALER

Nicholas has received several medals the family has never received.

In 2012, his family with the support of Senator MAC CAIN finally received them .......

His family knew nothing of his history during the Second World War.

These brothers never spoke of their stories nor of Nicholas during World War II

Only photos from this era proved their involvement in the conflict.

It is this year on the eve of the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the D DAY that, for the first time, members of her family are coming to her collegiate grave, apparently one of her sisters as well as her niece.

82^nd AIRBORNE DIVISION - ALL AMERICAN

Activated/Activé	Normandy/Normandie
25 Mar 1942	Days of Combat/Jour de Combat  422
	Casualties/Victimes  9 073
Entered Combat/Entré au combat
9 Jul 1943 at Sicily
Commanding Generals/Commandants généraux Maj. Gen. Omar Bradley (Mar 42 - Jun 42) Maj. Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway (Jun 42 - Aug 44) Maj. Gen. James M. Gavin (Aug 44 - Mar 48)	Campaigns/Campagnes Sicily (9 Jul - 17 Aug 43) Naples-Foggia (9 Sep 43 - 21 Jan 44) Rome-Arno (22 Jan 44 - 9 Sep 44) Normandy (6 Jun 44 - 24 Jul 44) Rhineland (15 Sep 44 - 21 Mar 45) Ardennes-Alsace (16 Dec 44 - 25 Jan 45) Central Europe (22 Mar 45 - 11 May 45)
CARTE DE CAMPAGNE DU THÉÂTRE MÉDITERRANÉEN CAMPAIGN MAP OF THE MEDITERRANEAN THEATER
PLAN DE ROUTE DE LA CAMPAGNE - CAMPAIGN ROUTE MAP
DIVISION CHRONICLE The 82d Airborne Division landed at Casablanca, 10 May 1943, and trained. Elements first saw combat in Sicily, when the 505th RCT and part of the 504th dropped behind enemy lines, 9-10 July 1943, at Gela. The remainder of the 504th RCT dropped, 11-12 July 1943, also near Gela, after running friendly naval and ground force fire. Scattered elements formed and fought as ground troops. The elements were flown back to Tunisia for reequipment and returned to Sicily to take off for drop landings on the Salerno beachhead. The 504th Parachute Infantry dropped, 13 September 1943, and the 505th the following night; the 325th landed by boat. These elements bolstered Salerno defenses and fought their way into Naples, 1 October 1943. After a period of occupation duty (and combat for some elements in the Volturno Valley and Anzio beachhead), the Division moved to Ireland, November 1943, and later to England, February 1944, for additional training. Moving in by glider and parachute, troops of the 82d dropped behind enemy lines in Normandy on D-day, 6 June 1944, before ground troops hit the beaches. Cutting off enemy reinforcements, the Division fought its way from Carentan to St. Sauveur-le-Vicomte, fighting 33 days without relief. Relieved on 8 July, it returned to England for refitting. On 17 September, it was dropped at Nijmegen, 50 miles behind enemy lines, and captured the Nijmegen bridge, 20 September, permitting relief of British paratroops by the British 2d Army. After heavy fighting in Holland, the Division was relieved 11 November and rested in France. It was returned to combat, 18 December 1944, to stem the von Rundstedt offensive, blunting the northern salient of the Bulge. It punched through the Siegfried Line in early February 1945, and crossed the Roer, 17 February. Training with new equipment in March, the Division returned to combat, 4 April, patrolling along the Rhine, securing the Koln area, later moving across the Elbe, 30 April, into the Mecklenburg Plain, where, 2 May 1945, the German 21st Army surrendered.	CHRONIQUE DE DIVISION La 82ème division aéroportée a atterri à Casablanca le 10 mai 1943 et s'est entraînée. Les éléments ont d'abord été combattus en Sicile, lorsque le 505ème RCT et une partie du 504ème ont été largués derrière les lignes ennemies, du 9 au 10 juillet 1943, à Gela. Le reste de la 504ème RCT est tombé, du 11 au 12 juillet 1943, également près de Gela, après des tirs amicaux contre des forces navales et terrestres. Des éléments épars se sont formés et se sont battus en tant que troupes au sol. Les éléments ont été rapatriés en Tunisie pour le rééquipement et sont retournés en Sicile pour décoller pour atterrir sur la tête de pont de Salerne. Le 504th Infantry Parachute Infantry est tombé le 13 septembre 1943 et le 505ème le lendemain soir; la 325ème atterrit en bateau. Ces éléments ont renforcé les défenses de Salerno et se sont introduits à Naples, le 1er octobre 1943. Après une période d'occupation (et de combat pour certains éléments dans la vallée de Volturno et la tête de pont d'Anzio), la division s'est installée en Irlande en novembre 1943 , Février 1944, pour une formation supplémentaire. Se déplaçant en planeur et en parachute, les troupes du 82d tombèrent derrière les lignes ennemies en Normandie le 6 juin 1944, avant que les troupes terrestres ne frappent les plages. En coupant les renforts ennemis, la Division se fraya un chemin de Carentan à Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte, combattant 33 jours sans soulagement. Soulagé le 8 juillet, il est retourné en Angleterre pour y être réaménagé. Le 17 septembre, il a été largué à Nimègue, à 50 milles derrière les lignes ennemies, et a capturé le pont de Nimègue, le 20 septembre, permettant ainsi à la 2 e armée britannique de soulager les parachutistes britanniques. Après de violents combats en Hollande, la division est soulagée le 11 novembre et se repose en France. Il fut remis au combat le 18 décembre 1944 pour endiguer l’offensive de von Rundstedt, assourdissant le saillant septentrional des Ardennes. Il a percuté la ligne Siegfried au début de février 1945 et a traversé la Roer le 17 février. S'entraînant avec de nouveaux équipements en mars, la Division est revenue au combat le 4 avril, patrouillant le long du Rhin, sécurisant la région de Koln, traversant ensuite l'Elbe le 30 avril dans la plaine de Mecklenburg où, le 2 mai 1945 s'est rendu.

La tombe du PVT Nicholas POLACHEK, fleurit par une école de Bruxelles.

Merci aux enfants et à Julie

Steve POLACHEK

Frank POLACHEK

US Army Air Corps

A-20 mechanic