[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 152 (Friday, December 12, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1796]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF FRANCIS CHESKO FOR EXTENSIVE MILITARY SERVICE DURING 
                              WORLD WAR II

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                          HON. MATT CARTWRIGHT

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 11, 2014

  Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Francis Chesko, 
who is being recognized by the Mahanoy City Historical Society on 
Saturday, December 13, 2014. During World War II, Mr. Chesko took part 
in the D-Day Invasion and the Battle of the Bulge, reached the rank of 
sergeant in the 148th Engineer Battalion, received five Bronze Stars 
and the Army Presidential Unit Citation for his service.
  In 1942, Francis received his basic training in Camp Shelby, 
Mississippi. In October, he was deployed and stationed in Swidon, 
England, where he helped construct a Bailey bridge and a landing strip. 
While in Swindon, Francis was informed that his brother Joseph, who was 
also enlisted, was stationed 25 miles away from Francis's post. The two 
were able to visit each other one weekend with permission from 
Francis's captain. Shortly thereafter, Francis's outfit was ordered to 
move south to Southampton and prepare to leave for German-occupied 
France. On June 6, 1944, Francis landed on Utah Beach as part of the 
Allied Invasion of Normandy.
  On July 19, 1944, Francis was wounded during German shelling in the 
town of La Haye du Puits. He returned to Swindon for treatment. After 
his recovery, Francis was sent back across the English Channel and 
joined the 7th Armored Division in Holland. While serving with the 7th 
Armored Division, Francis endured the Battle of the Bulge. During the 
battle, while his unit was constructing a small tree-cut bridge, 
Francis narrowly avoided being hit by an 88-mm enemy mortar shell.
  While guarding a bridge in Holland, German forces took Francis's unit 
by surprise. After a friendly anti-tank round misfired, Francis and 
comrades had to fall back from their position. While trying to avoid a 
German tank, Francis was knocked over by debris sent flying by enemy 
gunfire. Friendly reinforcements arrived and disabled the German armor. 
Later, German forces began bombarding Francis's position. In the midst 
of the shelling, he took cover in a ditch and did not discover until 
the next morning that a mortar struck the ground above. Fortunately, 
the round did not go off.
  Francis's unit was dug in at the town of St. Vith, Belgium when 
Germans attacked the town on December 17, 1944. His division was 
ordered to hold their position for three days; they held it for five. 
German forces eventually took the town, but on January 23, Allied 
Forces recaptured it. After the Battle of the Bulge, Francis's unit 
helped construct the longest bridge of the war (1,300 feet) over the 
Rhine river. As he pushed into Germany, Allied Forces liberated 1,200 
captive American soldiers.
  Francis currently resides in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania with his wife 
Rose. They have been married over 65 years and have been blessed with 3 
children, 6 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren. I am sure Francis 
has been thanked many times for his brave service to his country, but, 
today, I add one more official notation of gratitude for his heroic 
answer to our nation's call to military duty.

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