Anton L. Krotiak - Holy Sepulchre, Alsip/Worth, IL
Posted by: adgorn
N 41° 41.295 W 087° 45.801
16T E 436473 N 4615445
Private First Class Krotiak earned The Medal of Honor during World War II for heroism May 08, 1945 at Balete Pass, Luzon, PI, Pacific Ocean.
Waymark Code: WM7C91
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 10/04/2009
Views: 7
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Born: August 15, 1915 at Chicago, IL
Entered Service in the US Army from Chicago, IL
Died: May 08, 1945 at the age of 29
Private First Class Krotiak was an acting squad leader, directing his men in consolidating a newly won position on Hill B on Balete Pass in the Philippine Islands, when the enemy concentrated small arms fire and grenades upon him and four others, driving them to cover in an abandoned Japanese trench. A grenade thrown from above landed in the center of the group. Instantly pushing his comrades aside and jamming the grenade into the earth with his rifle butt, he threw himself over it, making a shield of his body to protect the other men. The grenade exploded under him, and he died a few minutes later.