This is the first in a series of articles about the enlisted men who served in the unit while it was overseas between January 14, 1943 and May 8, 1945. See Introduction to Enlisted Men of the 32nd Station Hospital for details pertaining to research and curatorial decisions in how I’m presenting them.
Hershell Thomas Adams, 18130511 (June 2, 1922 – October 28, 1994)
Adams was born in Foster, Oklahoma, the son of Sam and Ethel Adams. When he was recorded on the census on April 24, 1940, he was a farmer living with his mother sister, and stepfather (John Blundell) in Hope Township, Oklahoma. When he registered for the draft on June 30, 1942, his employer was listed as “Air Base Construction, Roswell, N. Mex.”, presumably indicating that he was working at the new Roswell Army Air Field (later Walker Air Force Base). At the time, he was described as standing 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighing 165 lbs., with blond hair and gray eyes.
Adams volunteered for the U.S. Army, enlisting on August 4, 1942. Private Adams was transferred to the 32nd Station Hospital per Special Order No. 269, Headquarters, Medical Replacement Training Center, Camp Barkeley, Texas on October 11, 1942. Presumably, he joined the unit at Camp Rucker, Alabama, shortly before the unit moved to Fort Benning, Georgia. He went overseas with the unit on January 14, 1943 and subsequently served in Tlemcen, Algeria in 1943 and Caserta, Italy in 1944.
He may have been promoted to private 1st class on April 8, 1943 but definitely had been promoted by July 1943. He was promoted to technician 5th grade on August 10, 1943. He was promoted to technician 4th grade on February 19, 1944. He was demoted to private sometime between May and July 1944. He went on temporary duty to the U.S. Army Rest Camp, Rome from October 27–31, 1944. He was one of 16 men transferred to the 1st Replacement Depot on November 17, 1944. The document listed his M.O.S. as 060 (cook) and M.C.O. as 375 (unknown at this time). His entry in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs B.I.R.L.S. Death File states that he was discharged from the U.S. Army on November 28, 1945. Shortly thereafter, on January 19, 1946, he married Sylvia Marie Good in Crawford County, Arkansas on January 19, 1946 (perhaps suggesting his military service ended at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas).
I’ve been able to find very little about his postwar life. He may have married a second time, to Mary Lavern Smith on December 6, 1963 in Beaver, Oklahoma. It appears he was living in Marlow, Oklahoma at the time of his death, aged 72.
Louis Michael Agat, 32260351 (May 9, 1910 – May 8, 1998)
Agat was born in Brooklyn, the son of Isiah (a rabbi) and Miriam Agat. His parents were Jewish immigrants, from Russia (in his father’s case) and Germany (in his mother’s case). Agat was recorded on the census in the 1930 census as a clerk living in Brooklyn.
He was still working as a clerk when he was drafted. Agat joined the U.S. Army at Fort Dix, New Jersey on March 19, 1942. Corporal Agat was transferred to the 32nd Station Hospital on October 19, 1942, per Special Order No. 282, Headquarters Medical Replacement Training Center, Camp Grant, Illinois. He was promoted to sergeant on February 2, 1943. He went on temporary duty to the U.S. Army Rest Camp, Rome from September 25–29, 1944. He departed at 0730 hrs on December 20, 1944 for furlough to Oran, Algeria, returning on January 12, 1945. He was one of a handful of enlisted men who served with the unit the entire time it was overseas. After the 32nd Station Hospital arrived at the Boston Port of Embarkation on October 8, 1945, he was transferred to the Reception Center at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts. At the time of his departure from the unit, his M.O.S. was 405 (clerk-typist).
It appears he went by Michael at the time of World War II. His draft card is signed L. Michael Agat and he appeared under the name Michael Agat on a list compiled for the 1982 reunion as a member of the unit who had lost contact with the rest of the unit due to an outdated address.
He met and married his wife Gilberte in Algeria, most likely in 1943. There was a record of a Gilberte Mas Agat born in Tlemcen who departed Oran on January 24, 1945 en route to the United States aboard the U.S.S. General William N. Gordon. It’s possible that Sergeant Agat made the arrangements during his furlough.
Agat’s obituary in The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, New York) stated: “Mr. Agat was an accountant for the New York state Department of Civil Service, retiring in 1975.” He and his wife Gilberte raised three daughters and a son. He died in Albany, New York, aged 87.
Fred Ray Ainey, 33610528 (May 3, 1924 – March 2, 1983)
Ainey was born in Hallstead or Franklin Hill, Pennsylvania, the son of Bert and Leona Ainey. When Anna registered for the draft on June 30, 1942, he was living in Hallstead and working for Newton F. Wilson. Ainey was described as standing 5 feet tall and weighing 105 lbs., with blond hair and blue eyes.
He was working as a farm hand joined the U.S. Army in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on August 30, 1943 (though it appears he may not have gone on active duty until September 20, 1943). A press release (which gave his prewar residence as New Cumberland, Pennsylvania) stated that he earned the Bronze Star Medal as an infantry private.
Private 1st Class Ainey joined the 32nd Station Hospital on March 10, 1945 per Special Order 64, Headquarters Peninsular Base Section. His M.O.S. was listed as 675 (messenger, although that was an obsolete MOS per Training Manual 12-427 dated July 12, 1944). As of April 3, 1945, his M.O.S. was 590 (duty soldier III, which I believe may have been used for the unit’s guard detail). He was assigned to the 194th Military Police Company on April 3, 1945, but remained with the 32nd Station Hospital for detached service until April 27, 1945. According to his entry in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs B.I.R.L.S. Death File, he was discharged from the U.S. Army on December 17, 1945. After the war, Ainey lived in New Milford, Pennsylvania. He had a daughter and a son. He died in Wilkes-Barre, aged 58.
John Salvatore Alba, 32876177 (August 7, 1911 – December 8, 1960)
Alba was born in Brooklyn, New York. He was living in Brooklyn when he registered for the draft on October 16, 1940. At the time, he was working for James Manzolillo in Brooklyn. At the time, he was described as standing 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighing 189 lbs., with brown hair and eyes. Alba joined the U.S. Army in New York City on March 27, 1943. (It appears that he was inducted on March 27, 1943 and went on active duty on April 3 based on different dates in his enlistment record and U.S. National Cemetery Interment Control Form entry).
Private Alba joined the 32nd Station Hospital on March 10, 1945 per Special Order 64, Headquarters Peninsular Base Section. His M.O.S. was listed as 590 (duty soldier III). He departed for the U.S. Army Rest Center in Rome on August 24, 1945 and returned on August 28. He was transferred to the 61st Station Hospital effective September 12, 1945. Based on his U.S. National Cemetery Interment Control Form entry, the 61st Station Hospital was his last unit prior to him being discharged on December 30, 1945. He married Josephine Dimaio (1913–1980) in New York in 1951. The Albas are buried in Long Island National Cemetery in New York.
Leonard Francis Albano, 36310625 (May 2, 1915 – May 4, 1989)
Albano was born in Chicago, the son of Frank and Mary Albano. When he registered for the draft on October 16, 1940, he was living in Chicago and working at the Burton Dixie Corporation. He was described as standing 5 feet, 9¼ inches tall and weighing 157 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes.
Albano was drafted and joined the U.S. Army at Camp Grant, Illinois on January 12, 1942. His occupation was listed as “Shipping and receiving clerks”. A May 1945 photograph from the collection of Master Sergeant Charles Ballard identified Albano as one of the original cadre of enlisted personnel in the unit, so he may have joined the 32nd Station Hospital as early as June 1942. He was a member of the unit by August 13, 1942, when he was promoted from private to sergeant. He was one of eight enlisted men who, with two officers, departed Camp Rucker for Fort Benning, Georgia on October 24, 1942 (two days before the main body of the unit).
Shortly after arriving in Algeria, Albano was promoted to staff sergeant on February 2, 1943. In Tlemcen, Albano met his future wife, Henriette (1919–2011). They married in Tlemcen on December 5, 1943. The hospital’s Catholic chaplain, William V. O’Connor, officiated.
Albano went on temporary duty to the U.S. Army Rest Camp, Rome from October 15–19, 1944. Staff Sergeant Albano departed at 0730 hours on December 20, 1944 for furlough to Oran, Algeria, presumably visiting his wife, and returning on January 12, 1945. He began another furlough on July 5, 1945, returning on July 20. He was one of a handful of enlisted men who served with the unit the entire time it was overseas.
In a May 9, 1943 story, “Sergt. Leonard F. Albano, 3331 Congress street” was listed in the Chicago Sunday Tribune with other soldiers in North Africa who sent “Easter greetings” home. That same address appeared next to his name in a list compiled for the 1982 reunion, though it was noted that he had lost contact with the rest of the unit due to that address being outdated. He was one of a handful of enlisted men who served with the unit the entire time it was overseas. After the 32nd Station Hospital arrived at the Boston Port of Embarkation on October 8, 1945, he was transferred to the Reception Center at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts. At the time of his departure from the unit, his M.O.S. was 821 (quartermaster supply technician). He was discharged from the U.S. Army on October 17, 1945.
He and his wife had three children.
Carl Allen, 34188996 (almost certainly December 18, 1918 – June 5, 1972)
Allen was born in Tennessee in 1918. He was a farm hand before he was drafted and joined the U.S. Army at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia on February 17, 1942. Private 1st Class Allen was transferred from the Detachment, Medical Department, 4th Service Command at Fort Benning, Georgia to the 32nd Station Hospital per Special Order No. 292 (Headquarters Fort Benning, November 28, 1942). His duty was listed as medical technician. He was reduced to the rank of private on April 15, 1943. Private Allen was one of 13 men transferred to the 17th General Hospital on July 6, 1944 per Special Order No. 182, Headquarters Peninsular Base Section, dated June 30, 1944.
A likely match is Carl Allen with the dates of birth and death listed above. Allen was born in Hickman County, Tennessee on December 18, 1919, the son of Luther and Leola Allen. At the time he was recorded on the census on April 22, 1930, he was living in Hickman County with his his parents and six siblings. When he registered for the draft on June 7, 1941, Allen was unemployed and living in Lyles, Tennessee. He was described as standing 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighing 150 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. Like the 32nd’s Carl Allen, his draft card states that he has no middle name. A March 27, 1945 article in The Nashville Tennessean reported that “Pfc. Carl Allen, was wounded in action in February somewhere in Italy”. The article added that:
Private [sic] Allen, who was a member of the Tennessee State Guard for three years, entered the army in 1942, and is a member of an infantry outfit. He has been overseas the past 26 months, and was on duty in the North African campaign before going to Italy.
The service locations and date he went overseas is constant with him being the Carl Allen who was a member of the 32nd Station Hospital. His entry in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs B.I.R.L.S. Death File does give service dates of February 17, 1942 through July 13, 1945. After his release from the service, on August 11, 1945, he married Maycle Edney (1922–1995) in Hickman County.
Although I’m fairly certain of the match, I’ve included the qualifier “almost certainly” because of his common name and because although the 32nd Station Hospital’s Carl Allen had no middle name listed, the likely candidate’s headstone has a middle name of Clayton.
Carl Alfred Allen, 38104126 (June 26, 1920 – July 3, 1996)
Allen was born in Freedom, Oklahoma, the son of Alfred R. and Lula Allen. When he registered for the draft on July 1, 1941, he was living in Olathe, Colorado and working on his father’s farm. At the time, he was described as standing 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighing 130 lbs., with light brown hair and hazel eyes. and joined the U.S. Army at Fort Bliss, Texas on March 21, 1942. His civilian occupation was listed as “semiskilled millers, grain, flour, feed, etc.”
Private Allen was one of 61 men who joined the 32nd Station Hospital from the 7th Replacement Depot at 1000 hrs on November 12, 1944. The transfer document indicated he was Infantry Branch with M.O.S. 345 (truck driver, light). He went on temporary duty to the U.S. Army Rest Camp, Rome from December 2–6, 1944. Private Allen was transferred to the 300th General Hospital on July 30, 1945.
His service dates were listed as March 21, 1942 through December 11, 1945, with a second stint in the U.S. Air Force from April 27, 1948 through January 29, 1949. As of 1956, he was working as a paint contractor in Bresham, Oregon. He married Dorothy Teumer (1927–2013), a photographer, in Portland, Oregon on March 4, 1956. His headstone in Willamette National Cemetery in Oregon states he was a private 1st class in the U.S. Army.
Rhufus Ethan Allen, 39270174 (October 18, 1922 – June 15, 2015)
Allen was born in Ava, Missouri, the son of Thomas J. Allen Sr. and Ellen Allen. Although Allen grew up in Missouri, he moved to California after April 16, 1940. When Allen registered for the draft on June 30, 1942, he was living in South Pasadena, California and working at the Wilson Meat Packing Company in Los Angeles. He was described as standing 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighing 160 lbs., with brown hair and hazel eyes. He was drafted and was inducted into the U.S. Army in Los Angeles on December 11, 1942. He was hospitalized with rheumatic fever at Fort Francis E. Warren, Wyoming. According to a history about Allen’s military service written by his son, he was discharged from the hospital after three months and eventually shipped out for North Africa about the U.S.S. General A. E. Anderson. According to his Enlisted Record and Report of Separation, Private Allen went overseas on November 24, 1943, arriving in theater on December 4, 1943.
Private Allen joined the 32nd Station Hospital in Caserta, Italy at 1000 hrs on March 28, 1944 via the 2nd Replacement Depot/Personnel Center 9. He was transferred to the 1st Replacement Depot on November 24, 1944. The transfer document listed his M.O.S. as 078 (electrician) and M.C.O. as 037 (meat cutter). While in Italy, he earned credit for the Rome-Arno (with the 32nd Station Hospital) and Northern Apennines (with an unknown unit after leaving the 32nd Station Hospital) campaigns. After V-E Day, he shipped out for the Pacific Theater on June 27, 1945, arriving on August 15, 1945.
His son stated that after Allen’s service in Italy, he served with the U.S. Sixth Army in the Philippines and then with the Eighth Army during the occupation of Japan, eventually reaching the rank of technician 5th grade. His last unit was the 529th Ordnance Heavy Maintenance Company. Technician 5th Grade Allen left Japan on December 12, 1945, arriving back in the United States on December 27, 1945. Allen was honorably discharged at Fort MacArthur, California on January 2, 1946. His awards included the Meritorious Unit Award, Philippine Liberation Ribbon, and Good Conduct Medal.
Allen’s son stated that his father graduated from Southwest Medical School in Dallas, Texas in 1958 and completed his residency at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Long Beach, California. His son wrote that during his residency, his father “worked at Paramount Pictures as an on location medical assistant for series like Bonanza and Gunsmoke.” Dr. Allen was an ophthalmologist. He and his wife Joan raised two sons. He married a second time to Sarah Allen. According to his obituary, “Dr Allen served his community for 13 yrs at Garland Memorial and 47 yrs at Medical City Dallas.” He died in Carrollton, Texas, aged 92.
Gustave R. Anderson (likely Gustaf Richard Anderson), 32356237 (probably February 7, 1900 – ?)
Anderson was born in Massachusetts in 1900. Anderson had been living in Westchester County, New York prior to joining the U.S. Army at Fort Jay, New York on June 18, 1942. His civilian occupation was listed as “skilled chauffeurs and drivers, bus, taxi, truck, and tractor.” Private Anderson was assigned to the unit September 4, 1942 per Transfer List No. 978 (Headquarters Medical Replacement Training Center, Camp Pickett, Virginia). He was promoted to private 1st class on September 4, 1943. He was transferred to the 1st Replacement Depot on September 30, 1943.
The most probable match is Gustave Richard Anderson who was born in Worcester, Massachusetts on February 7, 1900. He may have been born Gustaf Richard Anderson, the son of Gustaf and Maria Anderson. When he registered for the draft on February 16, 1942, he was living in Ossining, New York and working for the Westchester Coach Company. At the time, he was described as standing 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighing 170 lbs., with brown hair and eyes. I have been unable to learn anything more about him.
Chester Andruszkiewicz (likely Chester J. Andrews), 36183678 (likely July 1, 1915 – September 25, 1986)
Private Andruszkiewicz was listed as being a member of the unit by September 30, 1942. A Charles Andrusczkiewicz appeared on a list compiled for the unit’s 1982 reunion. He was listed as being someone who had lost contact with the rest of the unit, with a last known address of 311 Cass Avenue, S.E. in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The only person I could find who served during World War II with a similarly named Charles F. Andruszkiewicz (1918–2006), who enlisted in Hartford, Connecticut on August 18, 1943. However, I could find no connection between him and Michigan.
Examining the 32nd Station Hospital’s September 1944 report from the National Archives, I noted that a Chester C. Andruszkiewicz was mentioned as being hospitalized three days with tonsillitis. The only Chester Andruszkiewicz I could find an enlistment record for was Chester Joe Andruszkiewicz. Although his middle name was different, he was indeed born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Initially, the only likely census record I found was from 1930, when he was an inmate at the Kent County Juvenile Home. His parents were listed as having been born in Poland.
Andruszkiewicz married a woman named Cordelia on May 15, 1936 in Elkhart, Indiana. The couple did not have children. He appeared in the 1937 Grand Rapids directory as working as a trucker for the Hayes Body Corporation. He was still in Grand Rapids when he registered for the draft on October 16, 1940. At the time, he was working for the J.B. Jones Company. He was described as standing 6 feet tall and weighing 160 lbs., with brown hair and eyes. He joined the U.S. Army in Kalamazoo, Michigan on June 22, 1942. His occupation at the time was listed as “Semiskilled occupations in electroplating, galvanizing, and related processes” and his marital status was “separated, without dependents”; he and Cordelia divorced on September 30, 1947.
An Ancestry.com Family tree suggested that he might have also gone by Charles Joseph Andrews. Indeed, he gave this last name on the 1940 census. His obituary, which is featured in his Find a Grave entry, listed both last names, and his spouse as Evelyn Andrews (1920–1999). His entry in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs B.I.R.L.S. Death File (under the name Chester Andrews) gives his dates of service in the U.S. Army as July 3, 1942 through November 27, 1945. His headstone states he was a technician 5th grade in the U.S. Army during World War II. He died in Grand Rapids, aged 71.
Since none of the street addresses match the 1982 reunion document, and because of the various discrepancies regarding his name, I don’t know for certain that he is the same individual who served in the 32nd Station Hospital.
Jorge Aponte (Jorge Aponte y Cruz), 31405144 (May 28, 1920 – February 18, 1975)
Aponte was born in Coamo, Puerto Rico, the son of Edelmiro Aponte and Josefa Cruz. His mother died in 1929. When he was recorded on the census on April 8, 1930, Aponte was living in Coamo with his brother at the home of their uncle and aunt, Pedro A. and Francisca Cruz. (Later, on his draft card, Aponte listed Angel P. Larrauri of Coamo, Puerto Rico as a point of contact; there is a birth record for Angel Pedro Larrauri Cruz, so it would seem Angel and Pedro are the same person.) Aponte moved to the continental United States in 1938 aboard S.S. Coamo, which arrived in New York City from San Juan on May 16, 1938. One of the passengers was listed as Jorge Larrauri Aponte. The record must contain at least one error, because it gave the man’s date of birth as May 28, 1927 in Coamo, Puerto Rico, but listed his age as 18. Jorge Aponte was born on May 28, 1920, and would have been 17 at the time.
Aponte subsequently settled in New England. When registered for the draft on July 1, 1941, he was living in Waterbury, Connecticut and working as a barber for Emilio C. Ramirez. At the time, he was described as standing 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighing 110 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes.
Aponte was married and living in Plymouth County, Massachusetts when he was drafted. Aponte was inducted into the U.S. Army in New Haven, Connecticut on August 24, 1943. He apparently went on active duty on September 14, 1943. He is probably the Private Jorge Aponte of 295 Brown Street in Wareham, Massachusetts who appeared on a list —printed in The Boston Daily Globe on July 26, 1944—of men wounded in the Mediterranean Theater. His wife was listed as Marion Aponte.
Private Aponte was one of 61 men who joined the 32nd Station Hospital from the 7th Replacement Depot at 1000 hours on November 12, 1944. The transfer document indicated he was Infantry Branch with a M.O.S. of 022 (barber). Aponte went on temporary duty to the U.S. Army Rest Camp, Rome from December 10–14, 1944. He was promoted to private 1st class on February 15, 1945. He went on temporary duty to Bari, Italy on June 4, 1945, returning on June 7. All the other men on the trip were known to have been members of the 32nd Station Hospital Red Sox, although I was unable to confirm it in Aponte’s case. A June 16, 1945 morning report entry stated he was “entitled to Bronze Service Star for North [Apennines] Campaign” (for service prior to joining the 32nd Station Hospital). He departed for the U.S. Army Rest Center in Rome on August 24, 1945 and returned on August 28. He was transferred to the 300th General Hospital effective September 11, 1945. He left active duty on November 30, 1945.
Aponte apparently rejoined the military later, since he was still a soldier as of April 8, 1959, when he gave his service number RA-31405144 and unit as Company “A” of the 382nd Military Police after arriving in Boston on a flight from London. He was living in Leominster, Massachusetts at the time. I am unable to find any record between 1959 and his death. He may have returned to his hometown of Coamo, Puerto Rico, where he was buried after his death in 1975, aged 54.
Jerome A. Aprile, 32641511 (probably December 27, 1918 – August 26, 1982)
Technician 5th Grade Aprile joined the 32nd Station Hospital from the 13th Malaria Survey Unit on March 14, 1945. His M.O.S. was listed as 196 (sanitary technician). On April 4, 1945, he was transferred “to Hq & Serv Co AF” (Headquarters & Service Company Allied Forces?). His M.C.O. (civilian occupation) was listed as 345, truck driver.
Aprile’s service number could not be cross-referenced to an enlistment record, but the first two digits indicate he was drafted and entered the service from Delaware, New Jersey, or New York. A probable match is Jerome Anthony Aprile, who was born in New York on December 27, 1918. When he registered for the draft on October 16, 1940, he was living in Manhattan and working for the L. Nura Textile Process, Inc. He was described as standing 6 feet tall and weighing 210 lbs., with brown hair and eyes. There is also an entry in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs B.I.R.L.S. Death File for him with service dates of November 24, 1942 through November 30, 1945. A marriage license for a Jerome A. Aprile and a Mary Palmeiro was issued in Manhattan on June 14, 1948. He apparently lived in the Flushing section of Queens after the war.
William Felix Arballo, 19176417 (May 31, 1924 – December 8, 2016)
Arballo was born in Nestor, California, the son of Loreto and Ysabel Arballo. His parents had immigrated from Mexico. Arballo was recorded on the census (as Billie Arballo) on April 2, 1940, living with his family in Encinitas, California and working as a newsboy. After graduating from Oceanside-Carlsbad High School, he registered for the draft on June 30, 1942. At the time, he was living in Del Mar, California and working for William Smart in Rancho Santa Fe, California. He was described as standing 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighing 135 lbs., with black hair and eyes. (His discharge paperwork gave his eye color as brown.)
Arballo was a sales clerk before he volunteered for the U.S. Army. He enlisted in Los Angeles, California, on November 10, 1942, selecting the Medical Department as his branch. He went overseas on August 21, 1943, arriving in the Mediterranean Theater on September 4, 1943. His Enlisted Record and Report of Separation paperwork doesn’t mention credit for the Naples-Foggia or Anzio campaigns, so it’s not clear where he was stationed for his first few months in theater. By mid-1944, he had joined the 34th Infantry Division in Italy, serving as a combat medic during the Rome-Arno and North Apennines campaigns.
Arballo was later decorated for his actions on September 19, 1944. According to an account in his family’s collection:
When his rifle company was caught in an enemy mortar and artillery barrage, he was seriously wounded in one leg. Although unable to walk, Bill crawled from man to man administering first aid.
Although urged to have his wound taken care of, he continued his work until all the wounded had been taken care of. He then collapsed and had to be evacuated with the others. Bill was a source of inspiration to the entire company.
Indeed, a hospital admission record stated that Arballo was hospitalized from September to December 1944 due to a knee wound caused by an artillery fragment. After recovering from his wounds, Corporal Arballo joined the 32nd Station Hospital at 1000 hrs on December 29, 1944 via the 7th Replacement Depot. The morning report stated his M.O.S. was 861p (surgical technician; it is currently unknown what the p-suffix means).
On January 23, 1945, during a ceremony at the 32nd Station Hospital compound in Caserta, Italy, Corporal Arballo was presented with the Silver Star Medal by Major General Morrison C. Stayer for his actions four months earlier. (Oddly enough, the unit’s 1945 report stated that he earned the medal while “a Medical Aid Man with 45th [Infantry] Div.” Corporal Arballo’s records establish that the Silver Star was awarded per General Order 126, Headquarters 34th Infantry Division dated November 8, 1944; the 32nd Station Hospital report writer may have confused him with Olson Damon.)
In addition to the Silver Star Medal, Corporal Arballo’s awards included the Combat Medical Badge, Good Conduct Medal, and the Purple Heart.
Corporal Arballo was transferred to the 161st Medical Dispensary on February 9, 1945. He left the Mediterranean on August 25, 1945, arriving back in the United States on September 5, 1945. His last unit was the 227th Medical Dispensary (Aviation) prior to his honorable discharge at Fort MacArthur, California on October 30, 1945.
Arballo married Angelyn N. Knier (1913–2006) in Oceanside, California on November 26, 1948. The couple raised two daughters. According to his obituary:
He was also instrumental in the establishment of San Dieguito Regional Park. He was elected to the Del Mar City Council serving as mayor in 1962. During his long career as a reporter and in public relations he covered numerous stories of local and national interest in California and Hawaii. He was the founding president of the Big Island Press Club in Hilo, Hawaii.
Corporal Arballo was interred at the Miramar National Cemetery in San Diego, California.
Frederick Joseph Archdeacon, 33310805 (September 11, 1912 – September 21, 1990)
Archdeacon was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Frederick and Martha Archdeacon. Archdeacon joined the U.S. Army in Philadelphia on April 25, 1942. When he registered for the draft on October 16, 1940, he was described as standing 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighing 200 lbs., with brown hair and hazel eyes. He was working at the Philadelphia Naval Yard at the time.
According to his Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Application for World War II Compensation form, he was overseas between October 23, 1942 and February 13, 1944. Technician 5th Grade Archdeacon was apparently a patient in the hospital who was reassigned to the unit on April 20, 1943. This transfer was apparently deemed to be erroneous per an April 26, 1943 morning report entry. However, on May 8, 1943, he was officially transferred from the Detachment of Patients of the 32nd Station Hospital to become a member of the unit. He was promoted to technician 4th grade effective June 21, 1943. At some point, he must have been assigned back to the 1st Replacement Depot but attached to the 32nd Station Hospital, because the November 16, 1943 states he was dropped from the 32nd. A letter to the unit indicates that by mid-1944 Archdeacon had been promted to sergeant and was at the station hospital at Camp Reynolds, Pennsylvania.
Archdeacon re-enlisted for three years on October 9, 1945 at Camp Pickett, Virginia. His occupation was listed as “barn bosses.” His Pennsylvania application states he left active duty on October 19, 1948. His entry in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs B.I.R.L.S. Death File indicates he served from June 1, 1942 through June 19, 1957 and then June 20, 1957 through September 30, 1961. I’ve sometimes seen the two separate entries occur when someone was enlisted and subsequently commissioned. However, his headstone in Arlington National Cemetery states that he reached the rank of sergeant 1st class and served during World War II and the Korean War.
He may have been the Frederick J. Archdeacon mentioned in a November 24, 1971 article in the newspaper Public Opinion (Chambersburg, Pennsylvania) as “a combat vehicle inspector with the Area Organizational Maintenance Shop, Washington, D.C., 97th Army Reserve Command.” He married Helen Kalvaitis (1915–1976) in Philadelphia in 1944. He died in the Maine Veterans Home, aged 78.
Constantine Manuel Arkontaky, 32509238 (March 4, 1921 – January 30, 1995)
Arkontaky was born in the Bronx, the son of Nicholas and Helen Arkontaky, immigrants from Greece. He had three brothers and a sister. The family had moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by April 19, 1930 when they were recorded on the census; according to the 1940 census, the family moved to Mount Vernon, New York by April 1, 1935. When Arkontaky registered for the draft on February 16, 1942, he was living in Mount Vernon, New York. At the time, he was described as standing 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighing 140 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes.
Arkontaky joined the U.S. Army at Fort Jay, New York on September 22, 1942. His occupation was listed as “unskilled occupations in manufacture of leather products other than boots and shoes” when he was inducted.
Private Arkontaky was assigned to the unit on November 30, 1942 from Camp Blanding, Florida per Special Order No. 290 and joined the 32nd Station Hospital at Fort Benning, Georgia on December 2, 1942. The transfer document stated he was qualified for the duty of stenographer. He was promoted to private 1st class on May 17, 1943. He was listed in “Meet the Champs!” (a roster of the 32nd Station Hospital baseball team, the Red Sox) published after their victory in Caserta Eastern League Championship during the summer of 1944:
GUS (ARKY) ARKONTAKY….Utility Infielder. Gus covers any infield position well. His aggressive spirit is an inspiration to his teammates. Arky comes from Mt Vernon, New York.
Arkontaky was promoted to corporal on April 13, 1944. He went on temporary duty to the U.S. Army Rest Camp, Rome from October 7–11, 1944. An April 3, 1945 morning report entry stated that Corporal Arkontaky departed on March 30, 1945 for temporary duty in Athens, Greece, returning on April 13, 1945. He was one of 16 enlisted men (all apparently members of the 32nd Station Hospital Red Sox) who went on temporary duty to Bari, Italy on June 4, 1945, returning on June 7. He was one of 16 enlisted men transferred to the 52nd Station Hospital on June 30, 1945. He was honorably discharged on October 17, 1945.
He married Coula Rogdakis (1921–2011) in New York in July 1946, with whom he raised two sons.
(First name unknown) Ashal or Asahl, service number unknown (dates of birth and death unknown)
Technician 5th Grade Ashal or Asahl (his name was spelled differently in two morning reports) joined the 32nd Station Hospital from the 1st Replacement Depot on April 10, 1943. According to the May 3, 1943 morning report, he was transferred to “3rd Prov P/W Adm Sec” (3rd Provisional Prisoner of War Administration Section?).
More articles in the series Enlisted Men of the 32nd Station Hospital:
Last updated November 20, 2022
32nd Station Hospital 