Edward F. Wojick
NAME: Edward F. Wojick
ASN: 36315585
PLACE OF BIRTH: IL
DATE OF BIRTH: 1919
DATES OF SERVICE: 03 Feb 1942 - 28 Jan 1945
UNIT ASSIGNED: ACO 509th PIB
CAMPAIGNS: Southern France, Ardennes
AWARDS: Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, EAME Campaign Medal with arrowhead and bronze star device, Purple Heart Medal
SUMMARY OF SERVICE: Cpl., Radioman.
03 Feb 1942 - Enlisted at Camp Grant, IL - NARA Enlistment Record
| ARMY SERIAL NUMBER | 36315585 | 36315585 |
| NAME | WOJCIK#EDWARD#F######### | WOJCIK#EDWARD#F######### |
| RESIDENCE: STATE | 61 | ILLINOIS |
| RESIDENCE: COUNTY | 031 | COOK |
| PLACE OF ENLISTMENT | 6112 | CP GRANT ILLINOIS |
| DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY | 03 | 03 |
| DATE OF ENLISTMENT MONTH | 02 | 02 |
| DATE OF ENLISTMENT YEAR | 42 | 42 |
| GRADE: ALPHA DESIGNATION | PVT# | Private |
| GRADE: CODE | 8 | Private |
| BRANCH: ALPHA DESIGNATION | BI# | Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA |
| BRANCH: CODE | 00 | Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA |
| FIELD USE AS DESIRED | # | # |
| TERM OF ENLISTMENT | 5 | Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law |
| LONGEVITY | ### | ### |
| SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL | 0 | Civil Life |
| NATIVITY | 61 | ILLINOIS |
| YEAR OF BIRTH | 19 | 19 |
| RACE AND CITIZENSHIP | 1 | White, citizen |
| EDUCATION | 2 | 2 years of high school |
| CIVILIAN OCCUPATION | 678 | Semiskilled machine shop and related occupations, n.e.c. |
| MARITAL STATUS | 6 | Single, without dependents |
| COMPONENT OF THE ARMY | 7 | Selectees (Enlisted Men) |
| CARD NUMBER | # | # |
| BOX NUMBER | 1064 | 1064 |
| FILM REEL NUMBER | 5.126 | 5.126 |
10 Apr 44 - Cpl. Edward F. Wojcik 36315585 A CO 509th PIB GO 5 Award of Combat Infantryman Badge
28 Jan 45 - 509th PIB with a reporting strength of only 45 men was ordered to attack and secure high ground in vicinity of St. Vith. Maj. Tomasik was in command. Battalion HQ consisted of about 10 men and the other 35 men were under the command of Lt. Ken Shaker. From the house in the wooded area Maj. Tomasik and Lt. Shaker reviewed the map showing the hill down the road from their position. After moving a short distance down the road Lt. Shaker moved off the road to the right to avoid detection and proceeded to parallel the road. They soon came to a fire trail, after the lead scout crossed the road a shell landed between the scout and the main body of the patrol. The rest of the patrol quickly crossed the road by low crawling to avoid detection. Once across, they turned left and came to the edge of a clearing where they were able to observe the hill they were suppose to attack. The hill had a grouping of trees at the top with clear fields down the slope covered with heavy snow. From this position it would have been impossible to conduct a successful attack. Lt. Shaker and another Soldier went off to the right to determine if there was another approach that afforded more cover. About six hundred yards they saw off to the right a valley with four or five american tanks and men. Further ahead Lt. Shaker found a covered approach and returned to the patrol. Lt. Shaker sent one Sgt. and four other men to patrol up the covered route and see if anything was on the top of the hill. The five man patrol made it up most of the way when they encountered a German machine gun position. After an exchange of fire several Germans retreated and one surrendered. Unfortunately, radioman Cpl. Ed Wojick was killed. The German prisioner was brought to Lt. Shaker and they attempted to get the German to tell how many were on the hill. He refursed to talk. The German prisoner was take to the battalion command post where an interrogation team questioned the prisoner. Finally the prisoner told them that there was a 160 man company. Word finally got back to Lt. Shaker around 1600, who had been delaying the attack, to return to the battalion command post the attack had been called off. The remnants of the 509th PIB, now 44 men, loaded on trucks and moved out to Trois-Ponts, Belgium.
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