WWII Service Men Interred Overseas
Source: ancestry.com
From Farm Field to Battlefield: Remembering Charter Oak Native, Lt. Vincent Pithan
Lt. Vincent Cyrill Pithan was born in Charter Oak on Jan. 6, 1916, and was the son of former Ute residents, Agnes Staley Pithan and Albert C. Pithan. They farmed one mile south of Ricketts on the west side of the road. Later, after early education at St. Boniface School at Charter Oak, Vince attended the Ute High School for two years.
Lt. Pithan served bravely in World War II as a leader in the 461st Anti-Aircraft Arty (Automatic Weapons) Battalion.
Lt. Pithan was drafted into Coast Artillery from Los Angeles, Calif., on Oct. 8, 1941. On May 10, 1943, he married Isabelle Canizo. After training at different camps on the west coast, he was sent to England in July 1943.
Lt. Pithan served in six countries: England, Normandy, France, Luxemburg, Belgium, and Germany. For action between Sept. 19-21, 1944, Lt. Pithan was awarded the Silver Star. In October, he received a battlefield promotion (an honor very few receive) and was made a second lieutenant.
On Dec. 17, 1944, Lt. Pithan returned to Headquarters after checking on the well-being of his troops. He lost his life that day in the shelling that marked the start of the Battle of the Bulge. He is one of 7,997 Americans buried at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Belgium. In addition to the Silver Star, he also received the European-African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four bronze service stars and a Purple Heart.
Lt. Pithan’s first cousin, Jack Staley, is seeking approval from County Supervisors and the Department of Transportation for a memorial bridge between Charter Oak and Ute to remember Lt. Vincent Pithan’s bravery and service to the American People.
Respectfully submitted by Jack Staley, former Charter Oak native
Source: Mapleton Press, November 26, 2020
Special honor for Lt. Vincent Pithan
Lieutenant Vincent C. Pithan served with honor in the United States Army in World War II. Lieutenant Pithan died in action on December 17, 1944, at the age of 28 in Monchau, Germany. For his commendable service, Lt. Pithan received a Silver Star, the European-African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four bronze service stars and a Purple Heart.
A reception honoring former Charter Oak native, 2nd Lt. Vincent Cyril Pithan will be held on Saturday, April 9, at 1 p.m. at the Ute Town and Country Building.
All are welcome and encouraged to attend. The event is being hosted by Vincent Pithan's first cousin, Jack Staley (formerly of Charter Oak).
Jack noticed bridges in Iowa dedicated in their memory of state troopers killed and fallen service members/veterans killed in action.
“I thought it would be nice to have a bridge in his (Vincent’s) honor,” Jack said after Vincent received a battlefield promotion, was made a second lieutenant and received a Silver Star.
Jack remembers when he was young boy in January of 1946 attending a memorial mass at St. Boniface in Charter Oak. He remembers where he was sitting and what the Priest said, “There is no great sacrifice a man can give to his country then to lay down his life.”
Vincent was the only cousin (out of 52+), Jack never got to meet. He regrets something like this (dedication) hadn’t been done years earlier so Vincent’s mother could have seen it.
“He was such a fine young man growing up,” Jack said. He was in service before World War II and he faced a lot of challenges especially being a Lieutenant and guiding his men.”
The Monona Board of County Supervisors and the lowa Department of Transportation have graciously established a memorial bridge on Highway 141, between Charter Oak and Ute, to remember Lt. Vincent Pithan's bravery and service to the American People.
Source: The Mapleton Press, April 7, 2022 (photo included)
