CHELSEA'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO WORLD WAR II

A lot of Americans believed that whatever 'Hitler' was doing in Europe and 'Tojo' was doing in the Far East, none of it was any of our business. Let them blow each other to smithereens, we have no worries; not with two great oceans protecting us. The tune changed with the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in December 1941. Then the rush was on to enlist.

"I fear all we have done is awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve." Admiral Yamomoto

"We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." Sir Winston Churchill

Pvt. Lawrence P. Lyons, Jr.		Service Flag Presented to City   On October 12, 1943 several hundred persons gathered in Chelsea Square to observe the raising of a Service Flag which was presented to the city by a joint committee of the Chelsea Council Knights of Columbus and the Chelsea Lodge of Elks. The flag bearing the number "4849" representing the Chelsea men and women serving in the armed forces, and the number "23" representing the number of persons who have thus far given their lives in the world conflict. The honor of unfurling the service flag was given to Mrs. Lillian V. Ostler, of Broadway, who had eight sons in the service.
	Pvt. Lawrence P. Lyons, Jr., a resident of Lash St. was the only Chelsea person to lose his life during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Lyons was the son of Lawrence P. and Leontina (Carridon) Lyons. He was born in Chelsea and educated in the Burke, Prattville, Carter and Chelsea Senior High Schools, graduating in 1939. Lyons was killed as he ran across a runway at Hickam Field during the second wave of the Japanese attack. He was the lone Chelsea victim that "Day of Infamy" when more than 2,400 lost their lives and the world was changed forever.
He survived the first assault on Hickam Field, but as he was running across the runway in the second wave a piece of shrapnel hit him in the back. Lyons was just 20 years old when he fell.   Lyons' father, Lawrence P., a World War 1 Navy veteran, almost immediately signed up again with the Navy despite being in his 40s and served during World War 2 on a Navy water-tender, which supplied fresh water on the ships.   Lyons' brother Robert, 18 at the time of the attack, dropped out of school and joined the Naval Airforce. He made a career out of the Navy and retired as a captain. Lyons' sister Elizabeth, 16 at the time of the attack, now lives in New Jersey.
General Norman Cota, Chelsea Native, Key Figure In The War
	A military general who directed many of the leading campaigns in Europe and Africa during World War II is a Chelsea native and was graduated from local schools.   After graduating from Chelsea High School, Maj-Gen Norman Cota attended Worcester Academy and later graduated from the U. S. Military Academy at West Point. General Cota was one of the key figures in the invasion in Oran in North Africa, was one of the heroes of the D-Day landings at Omaha Beach, and was instrumental in defeating the germans at the battle of St. Lo.   As commander of the 29th Infantry Division, Gen. Cota led the unit across France, Belgium and Luxembourg, and was credited with being principally responsible for the Allied victory at Bastongne, one of the key points in the Battle of the Bulge.
A Distinguished Service Medal winner, Gen. Cota always gave his home as Chelsea, where his mother and sister lived at 308 Washington Ave. His sister, Miss Ardell Cota, taught in Chelsea for many years, serving as elementary supervisor at the Shurtleff School and principal at the Mary C. Burke School until her retirement.   In September of 1944, He was promoted to the rank of major-general and in 1947, he became director of the Philadelphia region of the War Assets Adminstration, a position he held until he retired on September 30, 1945. General Cota, along with General Balnchard, another Chelsea-born war hero, led the "Victory Parade" in this city in October of 1945.
Eight Chelsea brothers serving in World War 2 Charles J. Ostler Killed in Action Howard Ostler, 27 - Leon Ostler, 25 - Twins Robert and Roland Ostler, 19 - Arthur Ostler, 30 - Donald Ostler, 21 - George Ostler, 23 - CLICK HERE FOR NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

175 Chelsea Residents who lost their lives during World War 2. Click the name of a specific individual for more information Additional individual information exists only where the link is enabled.
Stanley Adamowicz	Bosun Merchant Marines		Killed in Action	Sidney J. Malatsky	Leutenant	Ar. Air Force	Killed in Action
Louis T. Annese	Sergeant	US Army	Killed in Action	Samuel Margollis	Sergeant	US Army	Killed in Action
Benjamin Azarva	Private	US Army	Killed in Action	Edward N. Marshall	Seaman 3c	?	?
Francis E. Bangs, Jr.	Sergeant	US Army	Killed in Action	John P. McDonald	A.O.M. 2/c	?	?
Francis B. Barbieri	Corporal	US Army	Killed in Action	Irving McGuire	A 3c	?	?
Harry Baritz	Private F. C.	US Army	Died - Non Battle	William Meehan	Leutenant	US Navy	Killed in Action
Louis A. Barone	Private	US Army	Killed in Action	Homer P. Menard	C. T. Captain	US Navy	Killed in Action
Israel D. Barr	PhM 2-c	?	?	Michael A. Migliore	Yeoman 2c	US Navy	Killed in Action
Hyman Belsky	Private F. C.	US Army	Killed in Action	Bernard Miller	Staff Sergeant	US Army	Finding of Death
William A. Berkowitz	Private	US Army	Killed in Action	LeRoy F.Mitchell	Private F. C.	US Army	Killed in Action
Louis C. Bial	Sergeant	US Army	Died - Non Battle	John C. Mowatt	A.R.M. 2/C	US Navy	Killed in Action
Adolph Bialecki	T/5	US Army	Killed in Action	James D. Mugford	A 3c	?	?
Milton G. Bloom	Corporal	US Army	Died - Non Battle	Frederick P. Myers	BM 1/c	US Navy	Killed in Action
Sidney Bloom	Private F. C.	US Army	Killed in Action	Michael A.Nadworny	Private F. C.	US Army	Killed in Action
Edward F. Brennan	Private	US Army	Died - Non Battle	Michael J. Nemerowski Jr	F/O	US Navy	Killed in Action
Melvin Brodie	Private	US Army	Killed in Action	William L. Nolan	Leutenant	US Army	Killed in Action
Charles Brodsky	C.B.M.	US Navy	Died as POW	Sidney Noretsky	Private	US Army	Killed in Action
Jack R. Brodsky	Private F. C.	US Army	Finding of Death	John E. O'Keefe	Leutenant	?	?
Charles J. Burke	Private	US Army	Killed in Action	Nicholas Opolka	Private	US Army	Killed in Action
Richard R. Burns	B.M.2-c	?	?	Charles J. Ostler *	Private	US Army	Killed in Action
Delmar C. Cadle	Private	US Army	Killed in Action	George E. Pantano	Leutenant	US Navy	Killed in Action
Dovela Anthony Casey	Utility Man Merchant Marines		Killed in Action	Chester W. Pazyra	Corporal	?	?
Wilfred J. Cassie	Sergeant	US Army	Died - Non Battle	Chester J. Peach	Seaman 1c.	US Navy	Killed in Action
Joseph J. Campedelli	Private F. C.	US Army	Killed in Action	Eben C. Peach	Private	US Army	Killed in Action
Anthony M. Cenga	?	?	?	Maurice P. Penan	Private	US Army	Died - Non Battle
Michael Cimino	Private F. C.	US Army	Killed in Action	Moris M. Pinks	Leutenant	US Army	Finding of Death
Paul Connors	Sergeant	US Army	Killed in Action	Harry Potter	Private	US Army	Died - Non Battle
Frederick J. Cotreau	Private	?	?	James E. Powers	Seaman 1c	?	?
William S. Cucciniello	Sergeant	US Army	Killed in Action	Donald Randazzo	Private	US Army	Killed in Action
Vahe Dadourian	Sergeant	US Army	Killed in Action	Michael J. Repuccci	Private	US Army	Killed in Action
Israel Wolf Davis	Appr. .Seaman	Coast Guard	Killed in Action	Pfc. Guido Rosati	Private F. C.	US Marines	Killed in Action
Norman B. Denning	T/5	US Army	Killed in Action	Bernard Ross	Fireman 1/c	US Navy	Killed in Action
Herbert L. Dennis	S.V.G. 3/c	US Navy	Died - Non Battle	Joseph M. Ross	Private	US Army	Killed in Action
Frank S. DiLorenzo	Merchant Marines		Killed in Action	Russell Rowe	Merchant Marines		Killed in Action
John Di Silvestro	Merchant Marines		Killed in Action	Felix P. Rowinski	CPO	US Navy	Killed in Action
John L. Doran	Sergeant	US Army	Died - Non Battle	Nicholas Salerno	Private	US Army	Killed in Action
Samuel Doris	Merchant Marines		Killed in Action	Harold K. Searle, Jr.	Leutenant	US Army	Killed in Action
Thomas G. Downey	Private F. C.	US Marines	Died - Non Battle	George Sevkarian	Sergeant	US Army	Died - Non Battle
Clifford R. Durgin	Private F. C.	US Army	Killed in Action	Charles W. Shannon Jr.	Leutenant	US Army	Died - Non Battle
James S. Duval III	Seaman 1-c	?	?	Israel D. Shapiro	Private F. C	US Army	Died of Wounds
Walter A. Falta	Tec5	US Army	Finding of Death	George Shatzman	Captain	US Army	Killed in Action
Leonard Fleischer	Private	US Army	Killed in Action	Robert Quinton Shea	Raidoman 3c	US Navy	Killed in Action
Thomas A. Flight	Private F. C.	US Army	Killed in Action	Robert Frank Shearer	Ship's Cook 2c	US Navy	Killed in Action
Ernest A. French	Merchant Marines		Killed in Action	Ramon M. Skoczylas	Private F. C	US Army	Killed in Action
George T. Garden	Sergeant	US Army	Killed in Action	Gregory Shoohigh	Tec5	US Army	Killed in Action
Martin Gates	Private	US Army	Killed in Action	Clarence Snow	C.M.	?	?
John H. Gavin	Corporal	US Army	Died - Non Battle	Charles J. Socha	Sergeant	US Army	Killed in Action
Harry S. General	Leutenant	US Army	Finding of Death	Carl Spragg	Leutenant	?	?
John A. Gianetto	Seaman 1c	?	?	Peter Stamulis	Private	US Army	Killed in Action
William Vincent Giguere	Wtr tndr 1c	US Navy	Killed in Action	Raymond Stickney	Private	US Army	Killed in Action
John S. Gillespie	?	US Navy	?	Wiliam J. Strong	Private F. C.	US Army	Killed in Action
Francis H. Gillooly	Private F. C.	US Marines	Killed in Action	John D. Sullivan	Sergeant	US Army	Killed in Action
Fred B. Ginsberg	Private F.C.	US Army	Died - Non Battle	John E. Sullivan	Sergeant	US Army	Died of Wounds
Alfred Joseph Girourd	Merchant Marines		Killed in Action	Dennis J. Sullivan	Private F. C.	US Army	Killed in Action
Norman Donald Glick	Radarman 3c	US Navy	Killed in Action	Lawrence Suszynski	Private F. C.	US Army	Killed in Action
David Glickstein	Private	US Army	Died - Non Battle	George Takessian	Corporal	US Army	Died - Non Battle
Lester Glover, Jr.	Private F.C.	US Army	Killed in Action	Leonard Tannen	Private	US Army	Died - Non Battle
Walter Glowacki	Private F.C.	US Army	Killed in Action	William J. Tataroun	Staff Sergeant	?	?
Roy Howard Goodwin	Merchant Marines		Killed in Action	Hyman Taylor	Private	US Army	Died - Non Battle
Charles J. Green	Private F.C.	US Army	Killed in Action	Justin A. Taylor	Leutenant	US Army	Killed in Action
Vincent B. Gregoire	Private	US Army	Killed in Action	Samuel H. Taylor	Seaman 1c	US Navy	Killed in Action
Stephen J. Hagan	Private F.C.	US Army	Killed in Action	Jerry I. Thibeault	TM 3/c	US Navy	Killed in Action
Joseph J. Hamilton	Private F.C.	?	?	Andrew Tomasello	Private F. C.	US Army	Killed in Action
Edward Hannabury	Leutenant	US Army	Killed in Action	Daniel Donato Turco	Seaman 2c	US Navy	Killed in Action
lrving S. Hyffer	Private	US Army	Died - Non Battle	David Hyman Udell	Merchant Marines		Killed in Action
Floyd 0. Illingworth	Private F.C.	US Army	Killed in Action	Ralph Ungaro	Leutenant	?	?
William R. Irons	Sergeant	US Army	Killed in Action	Michael Varricchio	Private	US Army	Killed in Action
Marcel P. Jandrys	?	?	?	Thomas Voltero	Staff Sergeant	US Army	Killed in Action
Clement L. Jaynes	?	?	?	Raymond O. Waggoner	BM 1/c	US Navy	Killed in Action
James Joyce	Seaman 1c	US Navy	Killed in Action	Sumner Walker	Staff Sergeant	A. Air Force	Killed in Action
William J. Joyce	Sergeant	US Army	Died of Wounds	Manuel J. Weiner	Private F.C.	US Army	Died - Non Battle
Paul Kachuck	C C M	US Navy	Killed in Action	William F. Welsh Jr.	A. 2c	?	?
Peter Kalitkewicz	Private	US Army	Killed in Action	Herbert G. Winfrey	Ensign	Coast Guard	Killed in Action
John D. Kane	Sergeant	US Army	Killed in Action	Jan Wolinski	Private	US Army	Killed in Action
Jacob H.Katz	Private	US Army	Killed in Action	Howard Woodell	Leutenant	?	?
Euphret Kazanjian	Signalman 3c	US Navy	Killed in Action	George Yanover	Private	US Army	Died - Non Battle
Frank Kectic	Private F.C.	US Army	Died - Non Battle	Walter F. Young	Private	US Army	Died - Non Battle
Arthur W. Keenan	Private	US Army	Died of Wounds	Ignatius Zawachi	Private	US Army	Died - Non Battle
Harry A. Kepnes	Leutenant	US Navy	Killed in Action	Israel P. Zide	Private	US Army	Died of Wounds
Robert Kilduff	Private	US Army	Killed in Action	Aldo Zinetti	Private F.C.	US Army	Killed in Action
Allen I. Klarfaen	Leutenant	US Army	Died - Non Battle	* Charles J. Ostler, one of eight brothers serving in the war, killed during combat in the Lago Trasimeno area of Italy May 11-12, 1944.
Henry S. Kosolowski	Private	US Army	Killed in Action
Charles Kostopoulos	Private	US Army	Killed in Action
Joseph W. Kowalczyk	Private	US Army	Killed in Action
Chester S. Krolikowski	Sergeant	US Army	Killed in Action
Anthony LaRiccia	Seaman 1c	US Navy	Killed in Action
Ralph LeGrow	Corporal	US Army	Finding of Death
Thomas J. Lawless	Private F.C.	US Army	Killed in Action
George R. Lehan	Sergeant	US Army	Killed in Action
Bleecker Lettin	Radioman 3c	US Navy	Killed in Action
Louis J. Levine	Private F.C.	US Army	Killed in Action
Frank C. Logan	Staff Sergeant	US Army	Killed in Action
George B. Loitman	Cadet	?	?
Jacob Luster	Staff Sergeant	A. Air Force	Killed in Action
Lawrence P. Lyons, Jr.	Private	US Army	Killed in Action

US MERCHANT MARINE DEATHS FROM CHELSEA

NAME	AGE	SHIP	DATE of DEATH	RANK
Adamovicz, Stanley	24	Lyman Abbott	December 2, 1943	Bosun
Casey, Dovela Anthony	Unk.	Pan New York	October 29, 1942	Utility man
Doris, Samuel	Unk.	SS Edward B. Dudley*	April 10, 1943	O.S.
Di Lorenzo, Frank Salvatore	Unk.	Sumner I. Kimball	January 16, 1944	Able Bodied Seaman
Di Silvestro, John	Unk.	SS Robin Goodfellow*	July 25, 1944	3rd Engineer
French, Ernest Augustus	Unk.	Lemuel Burrows	March 14, 1942	Oiler
Girourd, Alfred Joseph	Unk.	Topa Topa	August 29, 1942	Wiper
Goodwin, Roy Howard	Unk.	SS John Winthrop*	September 24, 1942	Wiper
Rowe, Russell	Unk.	Joseph Malantic	March 9, 1943	Able Bodied Seaman
Udell, David Hyman	Unk.	SS Azalea City*	February 21, 1942	Wiper

* One of 33 United States Flag Merchant Ships That Vanished
(Confirmation of attacks came after World War II from German records)

SHIP	LOCATION	CAUSE	RESULT	DATE	TYPE	DEATHS
Lyman Abbott	Black Sea	Bombed	Damaged	12/02/43	Liberty	Crew 2; AG 1; Army 1
Pan New York	NE. Atlantic	Torpedo	Sunk	10/29/42	Tanker	Crew 26; AG 17
Edward B. Dudley	N. Atlantic	Torpedo	Sunk	04/11/43	Liberty	Crew 42; AG 25
Sumner I. Kimball	N. Atlantic	Torpedo	Sunk	01/16/44	Freighter	Crew 40; AG 30
Robin Goodfellow	S. Atlantic	Torpedo	Sunk	07/25/44	Freighter	Crew 41; AG 28
Lemuel Burrows	US Eastcoast	Torpedo	Sunk	03/14/42	Collier	Crew 20
Topa Topa	Caribbean	Torpedo	Sunk	08/29/42	Freighter	Crew 18; AG 7
John Winthrop	N. Atlantic	Torpedo	Sunk	09/24/42	Liberty	Crew 39; AG 13
Malantic	NE. Atlantic	Torpedo	Sunk	03/09/43	Freighter	Crew 19; AG 5; Passenger 1
Azalea City	N. Atlantic	Torpedo	Sunk	02/20/42	Freighter	Crew 38

Note: AG is U.S. Naval Armed Guard