St. Nicholas Orthodox Church (OCA)
67 Saratoga Street
Cohoes, NY 12047
Parishioners who served in WWII
Christ the Good Shepard stained glassed window on the north side is dedicated to all these men

Behuniak, Andrew

Bishop, Harry

Boyko, John

Calendar, Joseph

Czuwala, John

Czuwala, Peter

Dahoda, Joseph

Dahoda, Peter

Dahoda, WIlliam

Dennis, Frank

Dennis, S.

Dennis, T. T.

Fechura, John

Felenczak, Peter

Felenczak, William

Geleta, Joseph

Geleta, Leo

Geleta, Theodosius

Geleta, Peter J.

Geleta, William

Giba, John

Gorski, John

Guba, Harry

Guba, John

Guba Walter

Hatalsky, Michael

Hatalsky, Stephen

Hatalyk, Peter

Hodges, William

Honchak, Michael

Hytko, Peter

Karol, Joseph

Ketz, William

Kobzar, George

Kosarovich, Daniel

Kosarovich, Eugene

Kosarovich, Frank

Kosko, Harry

Kosko, Metro

Kosko, Stephen

Kosowsky, Philip

Kosowsky, Joseph

Kosowsky, Nicholas

Kosowsky, Peter

Kuzmich, John

Macyiowskie, Frank

Macyiowskie, Peter

Macyiowskie, Stephen

Mickritz, Metro

Mickritz, Michael

Mickritz, Walter

Mulcahy, Walter

Oreshan, Alexander

Patrician, Dimitro

Pawelczak, Metro

Pawelczak, Peter

Pelesh, Peter

Peregrim, Joseph

Peregrim, Michael

Peregrim, Thomas

Pitberzniak, John

Pitberzniak, Walter

Pitberzniak, WIlliam

Plaskon, Peter



Roman, Frank

Roman, Walter

Satiroff, Anthony

Serbalik, John

Serbalik, Vladimir

Shevchik, Metro

Shevchik, Michael

Shevchik, Theodore

Shewczyk, Alexander

Shewczyk, Metro

Smi, John

Smi, Peter

Stack, Samuel

Stack, Theodore

Stanczak, Samuel

Stroyen, George

Sweda, Peter

Sym, Peter

Uram, Michael

Volk, William

Walko, John

Walion, Michael

Walko, Michael

Wanko, John

Waschenko, John

Wasenko, John

Wattsman, Dimitri

Wattsman, Michael

Yakimuk, Nicholas

Yakimuk, Paul

Yakimuk, Stephen

 

Additional information on individuals who served in WW II
In Memoriam, Joseph Karol, 1/2/20 - 4/14/11
Joe was born in Roztoky Slovakia, January 2, 1920.   He came to the USA in 1928 but returned to Slovakia due to the great depression.  He returned to the US in 1937 or 1938. He served in the US Navy 5/24/1944 until his discharge on April 18, 1946 serving on the USS Wasp (Aircraft Carrier) as Fireman First Class.    He took part in 12 major battles in the Pacific.   He was called upon for Naval combat as well as hand to hand combat with the Marines.  He received the following medal and commendations:
 
Victory Medal
American Theater Medal
Philippine Liberation Ribbon 2 stars
Letter of Commendation European Theater Medal
Asiatic Pacific Medal 8 stars
Presidential Unit Citation
 
He married the love (Catherine Peregrim) of his live on February the 1949.  He built his own house on Woodruff Drive where he lived from 1949 until he sold his house and moved to Hawaii on 12/3/2008 to avoid the snow, ice and cold.   He had two sons: James and Thomas.  He has 3 grandchildren: Jody, Jennifer, and Joseph.    His  employment was with General Electric where he was a precision lath  machinist making gas turbines (jet engines) until he retired at 62.    He died today at approximately noon today (4/14/2011).    A memorial service was held at the hospital by Father John Schroedel.     The funeral home wake viewing time will be provided (either 4/21 or 4/22).  
 
His funeral will be 4/25/11 at the Veteran's Cemetery west Hawaii.   He will have a Paschal Orthodox Service at  10 AM with a choir from St. Juvenaly Orthodox Mission with Father John Schroedel from the Seminary followed by a military funeral with a 21 gun salute.
Parishioners who lost their lives during WWII
5 brave men

1. John Guba (US Army), July 1943. 82nd airborne paratrooper, killed during the parachute jump in Sicily in 1943. Buried at Jefferson Barracks in Kansas City, Missouri.

2. John Smi (US Army), November 1943. US Army military police, killed in a prisoner of war escape in Trinidad, Colorado by enemy. Buried in St. Nicholas Cemetery, Boght Corners.

3. William Stanczak (US Army), June 1944. US Army infantry man killed on Saipan Island in the Marianas while serving in C.O.B. 105th Infantry 27th Division. Buried in Punchbowl Cemetery, Honolulu, Hawaii.

4. William Volk (US Army), December 1944. US Army soldier assigned to 4th Armored Division killed in Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge. Buried in Luxemborg City, Luxemborg Military Cemetery.

5. Michael Uram (US Army), May 1945. US Army Artillery man killed in Lintfort Germany. Buried in St. Nicholas Cemetery, Boght Corners.

Theodozie Geleta
Technician 5th Class Theodozie Geleta US Army

Dozie served through all of World War II enlisting in January 1942 until discharged in September 1945.  He fought and landed in the early waves at Arzew, Algeria, North Africa, Gela Sicily, Salerno Italy and Normandy Beach France.   Dozie earned nine battle stars in the European-North African Theater and made four beach head invasions under enemy fire.  Dozie served in the Battle of the Bulge destroying bridges in Belgium to delay the German advance near St. Vith (Belgium).  He fought in the war liberating Nordhausen prison camp until V-E Day.  He was awarded the French Croix-De Guerre by France for actions at Normandy on June 6, 1944. 
 
Dozie came home from service, married Julia Gachosh and had one daughter, Christine Geleta-Marro.  He was a long time member of the Cohoes R Club, church choir, Russian male chorus, and President of St. Nicholas Church in the late 1950's.  He died November 17, 1992.  Vechnaya-Pamyat.
 
 

Michael Wilchaski
P.F.C. Michael Wilchaski, US Army, 178 Field Artillery Regiment,
A new flag was donated at the cemetery for Pentecost Sunday. The flag was donated by Ronald Geleta in memory of his uncle who was killed in action in Tunisia on May 3, 1943. The soldier was brother to Eva Wilchaski (Ronald's mother) and to Michael Susko's mother Mary Wilchasi Susko. P.F.C. Wilchasi was killed at Tabarka, Tunisia, North Africa in service to his country in WW II. Wilchaski was born in Shamokin, PA and moved to Cohoes in the late 1930's. He played in Rube Patrician's Orchestra in the 1930's and early 1940's before the war. He was baptized in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Shamokin. He is buried in Carthage Tunisia.

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