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SSGT Leo John Husak

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SSGT Leo John Husak Veteran

Birth
West, McLennan County, Texas, USA
Death
30 Jan 1945 (aged 21)
Germany
Burial
West, McLennan County, Texas, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
View Source
Through the work of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, the remains of Staff Sergeant Leo J. Husak, Army Service No. (ASN): 38432713, Company A, 1st Battalion, 309th Infantry Regiment, 78th Infantry Division, U.S. Army, World War II, were accounted for in 2018.

While serving in the European Theater of Operations, SSgt Husak was killed during a combat patrol on Jan. 30, 1945 in Germany's Hürtgen Forest. The offensive in the forest was one of the longest battles the United States fought during World War II, lasting for nearly five months.

His name is permanently inscribed in the "Tablets of the Missing" at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Henri-Chapelle, Belgium (Find A Grave Memorial 56282272).

Awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman Badge, American Campaign Medal & World War II Victory Medal.

~~•●★~~~•●★~~~•●★●•~~~★●•~~~★●•~~

The remains of Staff Sergeant Leo John Husak, of West, who was killed in action on January 30, 1945, at the age of 21, while serving his country with the United States Army during World War II, will be returned to his family for burial.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, June 23, 2018, at the West Brethren Church, with Rev. Curtis Holland officiating. Military Graveside Rites will follow at West Brethren Cemetery conducted by the Ft. Hood Honor Guard.

Leo was born on August 9, 1923, in West, the oldest of four children born to the late John "J.J." and Julia (Lastovica) Husak. He attended Leggott Grade School and was a graduate of West High School in August of 1942 where he played football and earned his letterman sweater.

Leo was drafted into the United States Army on March 4, 1943, where he started his Basic Infantry training at Camp Walters in Mineral Wells, Texas, and later at Camp Butner in North Carolina. Upon the completion of basic training, Leo was reassigned to Camp Pickett in Virginia for Army Combat Infantry training. At the completion of his combat training, Leo came home on furlough that summer and it was the last time his family saw him.

In December of 1944, he was deployed to the combat theater in Germany with Company A's First Battalion 309th Infantry Regiment and on January 30, 1945, he was classified as Missing in Action while leading a reconnaissance patrol in the vicinity of Rollesbroich, Germany. The patrol came around a corner and came under extensive enemy fire when his buddies could not retrieve his body and had to retreat. When they came back with additional resources they were not able to find any trace of Leo. The War Department continued to list Leo as Missing in Action until the first part of December of 1945 when he was declared as Killed in Action during combat.

Leo attained the rank of S/Sgt. in the United States Army and was awarded The Purple Heart and honored on Tablets of the Missing at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial in Belgium, The World War II Memorial at the West City Hall, the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., the 8th Air Force Museum at Barksdale AFB, LA, and the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, LA.

Survivors today include his sister, Irene Lancaster, of College Station; his brothers, Johnny Husak and his wife, Jane, of Haughton, LA, Edwin Husak and his wife, Erlene, of West, and Fred Husak and his wife, Kathy, of Robinson; and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

~~•●★~~~•●★~~~•●★●•~~~★●•~~~★●•~~

Leo Husak is also remembered in the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial.

~~•●★~~~•●★~~~•●★●•~~~★●•~~~★●•~~
Through the work of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, the remains of Staff Sergeant Leo J. Husak, Army Service No. (ASN): 38432713, Company A, 1st Battalion, 309th Infantry Regiment, 78th Infantry Division, U.S. Army, World War II, were accounted for in 2018.

While serving in the European Theater of Operations, SSgt Husak was killed during a combat patrol on Jan. 30, 1945 in Germany's Hürtgen Forest. The offensive in the forest was one of the longest battles the United States fought during World War II, lasting for nearly five months.

His name is permanently inscribed in the "Tablets of the Missing" at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Henri-Chapelle, Belgium (Find A Grave Memorial 56282272).

Awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman Badge, American Campaign Medal & World War II Victory Medal.

~~•●★~~~•●★~~~•●★●•~~~★●•~~~★●•~~

The remains of Staff Sergeant Leo John Husak, of West, who was killed in action on January 30, 1945, at the age of 21, while serving his country with the United States Army during World War II, will be returned to his family for burial.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, June 23, 2018, at the West Brethren Church, with Rev. Curtis Holland officiating. Military Graveside Rites will follow at West Brethren Cemetery conducted by the Ft. Hood Honor Guard.

Leo was born on August 9, 1923, in West, the oldest of four children born to the late John "J.J." and Julia (Lastovica) Husak. He attended Leggott Grade School and was a graduate of West High School in August of 1942 where he played football and earned his letterman sweater.

Leo was drafted into the United States Army on March 4, 1943, where he started his Basic Infantry training at Camp Walters in Mineral Wells, Texas, and later at Camp Butner in North Carolina. Upon the completion of basic training, Leo was reassigned to Camp Pickett in Virginia for Army Combat Infantry training. At the completion of his combat training, Leo came home on furlough that summer and it was the last time his family saw him.

In December of 1944, he was deployed to the combat theater in Germany with Company A's First Battalion 309th Infantry Regiment and on January 30, 1945, he was classified as Missing in Action while leading a reconnaissance patrol in the vicinity of Rollesbroich, Germany. The patrol came around a corner and came under extensive enemy fire when his buddies could not retrieve his body and had to retreat. When they came back with additional resources they were not able to find any trace of Leo. The War Department continued to list Leo as Missing in Action until the first part of December of 1945 when he was declared as Killed in Action during combat.

Leo attained the rank of S/Sgt. in the United States Army and was awarded The Purple Heart and honored on Tablets of the Missing at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial in Belgium, The World War II Memorial at the West City Hall, the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., the 8th Air Force Museum at Barksdale AFB, LA, and the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, LA.

Survivors today include his sister, Irene Lancaster, of College Station; his brothers, Johnny Husak and his wife, Jane, of Haughton, LA, Edwin Husak and his wife, Erlene, of West, and Fred Husak and his wife, Kathy, of Robinson; and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

~~•●★~~~•●★~~~•●★●•~~~★●•~~~★●•~~

Leo Husak is also remembered in the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial.

~~•●★~~~•●★~~~•●★●•~~~★●•~~~★●•~~


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