The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-03-13


 Peninsular Base Headquarters Italy:-Pvt. Leonel Blais of 39 West Clay street, Waterbury, Conn.,, is a member of the 55th Station Hospital which has served almost two years overseas in Africa and Italy. The hospital is perched on a mountain top not very far behind the hard- fighting frcnt, an important link in one of the careful medical chains of casualty evacuations.
 It is one of the many units of this Base, important service and supply organization for Fifth Army and for the ground forces Of the U. $. Air Corps and Navy in the Mediterran- can theater of operations.
 The hospital has had colorful as well as useful career since its &C., tivation at Camp Gruber, Oklahoma, on July 25, 1942. The unit spent it's training period at Fort Bragg. N. C., ana started its Atlantic crossing on April 29, l943. It was in the first convoy of this war to pass through the Strait of Gibraltar before dark and 1t had barely recovered It's land legs on a dusty hill near Gran, AL geria, when 1t saw it's first air raid over the nearby port.
 Private Blais has been ip the army for 48 months and overseas for l9 months. He has been awarded the African European Theater of Opera ton Campaign Ribbon.
 Bradley Field, Conn.,, March 10
 Mrs. Anna M. Milkaitis of 17 City
 HiIl street, Union City, Connecti-
 cut will receive the Air Medal for
 her husband, Sergeant Frank V.
 Mikaitis, Air Corps, who has been
 reported killed In action. The pre-
 sentation will be made at Bradley
 Field, Conn.,, unit of the First
 Air Force, Saturday, N.arch F.
 The citation accompanying the
 medal states: "For merit0riOus
 achievement in aerial flight while
 participating In sustained opera
 ticnaI activities against tLe enemy
 from 12 August 1914 to 20 August
 1944."
 Reno, Nev., March 12-Henry c. Ely, of 157 Hillside avenue, Water- bury, Conn.,, was recently promoted to the grade of private first class, it was announced today by the com manding officer of the Reno army base, Reno, Nev. Pfc. Ely Is a member of the third Operational training unit. operated at the Reno base by the Ferrying Division of the Air Transport Command. At this base exclusively are pilots taught the operation of the huge GAG Curtiss Commando cargo plane, largest two-engined aircraft in the world.
 Headquarters, 18th AAF, South west Pacific-Pfc Loring B. Clark, Jr., 289 Grove street, Waterbury, Connecticut, formerly of Los Ang- eles, has advanced with the 18th AAF into the Philippines where the Jungle Air Forces bomber and fighter planes are mopping up be- fore striking against the Japanese homeland.
 Private Clark for the first time since arrival overseas is stationed in an area where the local population, if any, Is more tha nthe Hey, Joe" type of fuzzy -wuzZy. The Eighth 18th" began its battle against the Japs on Guada:canal and hammered such strongholds as Bougainville, Rabaul, Truk, Yap, New Guinea, the Moluccas, Balikpapan on Bor- neo before turning It's attention to the Philippines with strikes against Cavite naval base, Corregidor, and Nichols and Nelson airdromes on the outskirts of Manila Fighters of the 18th daily conduct sweeps along the China coast against enemy ship ping.
 Private Clark, who was employed | in civil service work in Los Angeles | before entering the army, is serv- ing with the Adjutant Generals section of the air forces headquar- ters.
 Lieut.. William F. Jones. who has been serving in the Pacific theater for the past 38 months, has arrived In San Francisco, Calif., and is ex- pected in Waterbury shortly. He is the son of William F. Jones, 2l2 Circular avenue.
 Sgt. John Riley, 246 Wood street. who was wounded while on mis- ,ion over Zeitz yards in Germany November 30, has arrived in this and is now a patient at General hospital. Frarn- ngham, Mass. A member of the Ninth Air Force, he was awarded he Air Medal with a cluster, and he Purple Heart.
 William c. Gyuricski, P. O. 3/c, nas returned to his station after | spending a fifteen-day leave with | his wife, the former Doris May | Maloney, 86 Washington street. | has been on duty in the | South Pacific. He entered the serv- Ice February 1, 1o44 and went over. geas in Ano1's1 tnAA