Eugene “Jack” Kraszewski was drafted shortly after turning 18 and enlisted in the 553rd Anti-Aircraft Battalion, 9th Division on March 1, 1943.
He landed at Utah Beach on D-Day and later fought in the Battle of the Bulge.
The Battle of the Bulge was the last major German offensive in the West during World War II, launched in December 1944. Intended to cut off Allied forces in the Ardennes, the battle ultimately failed, causing heavy losses to the German forces and sparking the Allied forces’ final push towards victory.
Due to military service, Kraszewski was unable to complete his senior year of high school.
But last week, the now 100-year-old veteran was presented He received an honorary high school diploma from the Pulaski Community School District.
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World War II veteran Jack Kraszewski receives his diploma
It is worth noting that Jack Kraszewski was awarded his high school diploma 81 years after being drafted during World War II.
Earlier this year, the Pulaski community came together to commemorate his military service and the 100th anniversary of his birth with a parade, with Kraszewski driving through the streets in a World War II-era jeep.
“I can’t tell you how much fun it was,” Kraszewski said. Parade“A lot of people came to see me.”
He also recounted to reporters the dangers he faced in Europe fighting for America.
“We strafed and shot down low-flying planes,” he said. “Our guns were 40-millimeter and 50-caliber, so we couldn’t reach the bombers.”
“We were out walking around for 24 hours in the rain, in the air, in the weather.”
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Visit to France on D-Day
Jack Kraszewski, along with other veterans, returned to France to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings.
He entered France a few months after the Normandy landings. Northeast Wisconsin ReportAfter the parade, he recalled an emotional reunion with his father when he returned home from war.
“I went in the house and yelled, ‘Is anybody there?’ and my dad got up and we had a nice reunion,” he said.
Kraszewski returned to his cheese-making career, where he met his wife and started a family.
He’s not sure what the secret to his longevity is, but he suspects it involves some kind of help from above.
“I don’t know. Someone upstairs dealt with it,” he said.
Now the community he.
