DOB/DOD: December 10, 1921 (Derby, CT) – August 3, 1944; 22 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
ENLISTMENT: January 20, 1942.
SERVICE NUMBER: 353244.
FAMILY: Born to Jacob D. (1866-1939) and Honorada “Nora” S. Jedlos Witek (1892-1962) [both parents were born in Poland]. Four sisters, Stephanie M. Witek Mulsoff (1911-2008), Constantine “Connie” (1919-1989), Genevieve S. (1923-1986), and Jean Witek Christy (1923-2006). Three brothers, John J. (1913-1983), Joseph M. (1915-1952), Stanley P. (1916-1990).
OTHER: The family moved from Derby, Connecticut, to Chicago when he was 9. He graduated from high school there and went to work as a laborer at the Standard Transformer Company.
MEDAL OF HONOR CITATION
AWARDED FOR ACTIONS DURING: World War II
BRANCH OF SERVICE: Marine Corps
UNIT: 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Division
AGE ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT: 22
CITATION:
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Private First Class Frank Peter Witek, United States Marine Corps Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the First Battalion, Ninth Marines, Third Marine Division, during the Battle of Finegayen at Guam, Marianas, on 3 August 1944. When his rifle platoon was halted by heavy surprise fire from well-camouflaged enemy positions, Private First Class Witek daringly remained standing to fire a full magazine from his automatic at point-blank range into a depression housing Japanese troops, killing eight of the enemy and enabling the greater part of his platoon to take cover. During his platoon’s withdrawal for consolidation of lines, he remained to safeguard a severely wounded comrade, courageously returning the enemy’s fire until the arrival of stretcher-bearers and then covering the evacuation by sustained fire as he moved backward toward his own lines. With his platoon again pinned down by a hostile machinegun, Private First Class Witek, on his own initiative, moved forward boldly to the reinforcing tanks and infantry, alternately throwing hand grenades and firing as he advanced to within five to ten yards of the enemy position, and destroying the hostile machinegun emplacement and an additional eight Japanese before he himself was struck down by an enemy rifleman. His valiant and inspiring action effectively reduced the enemy’s firepower, thereby enabling his platoon to attain its objective, and reflects the highest credit upon Private First Class Witek and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
Presentation date and details: May 20, 1945, by General Alexander A. Vandegrift, Marine Corps Commander, at a public ceremony in Soldiers’ Field, Chicago, Illinois.
Witek Memorial Park, Stillbelt Lane, Derby, Connecticut, is named for him. The park was dedicated in a ceremony on May 29, 1999. Photos with this description were taken by Jeff DeWitt.
Medal of Honor Recipient PFC Frank P. Witek Memorial Park is a 144-acre park on the east side of the city on property that was formerly a reservoir. It was one of the earliest settled areas of the city, dating back to the 1600s. In 1859, the burgeoning Borough of Derby on the west side of town needed a stable water supply, and the Birmingham Water Company bought the land in the area, which was mostly meadows and farmland. They dammed the brooks in the area to create the reservoirs, which they continued to own and utilize until selling it to the City in 1997. On May 29, 1999, the city dedicated the park in honor of PFC Witek. In addition to two beautiful ponds, the complex also contains trails for walking and hiking. On September 16, 2006, the City officially opened two new soccer fields on part of the property.
In 2011, bronze plaques in the park honoring Witek were stolen. His brother Leonard said, “Didn’t you read what it was for? What the honor is? A person got killed for this, and you’re taking it away?” The monuments in the pictures that follow are replacements for the stolen plaques, which were never recovered.
The U.S.S. Witek (DD/EDD-848) was a Gearing-class destroyer named for him. It was decommissioned in 1968.
From the Quad-City Times (Davenport, Iowa) May 31, 1976
GUAM HERO REMEMBERED
Medal Of Honor Winner Buried At RI Arsenal [note: RI = Rock Island]
The “bold’’ and “daring” heroics of a good-natured 22-year-old Marine who gave his life for his country on Guam in World War II will be recounted in services today at the Rock Island National Cemetery.
Private First Class Frank Peter Witek was killed Aug. 8, 1944, ‘‘in the line of duty in the Battle of Finegayen at Guam, Marianas Islands.”
He is the only congressional Medal of Honor recipient among the more than 9,800 persons buried in the cemetery on Arsenal Island.
Relatives said it was the decision of Witek’s mother to have him buried in the Rock Island Cemetery because it was the nearest national cemetery to Chicago, where the family lived then.
In the services at 10:45 a.m. today, Capt. Donald L. Dickerson, Moline, U.S. Marine Corps, will read a citation summarizing Witek’s achievements.
Interviewed by telephone, a sister of Witek, Mrs. Harold Christy of Chicago, recalled Frank as “the type who would do almost anything for his friends.”
He was, she said, “very handsome” and “extremely neat” but, according to friends, “He didn’t like to polish his rifle.”
He was about 5-11 in height with a slender build, “but not thin.” He had brown hair and brown eyes. He was “very proud” of the Marine Corps.
He attended Crane Tech High School, Chicago, “a couple of years.” He had, Mrs. Christy said, a “very good mind,” but after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he could not wait to enlist.
With much reluctance but with considerable insistence from the son, his mother signed papers so he could join the Marines shortly after the Pearl Harbor attack.
Friends, Mrs. Christy recalled, said that on the day he was killed, he had remarked, “This is going to be my last day.”’
Witek, she said, “was not belligerent at all. He was extremely kind and good-hearted, and he was always telling Mom not to worry.”
A destroyer was named the U.S.S. Witek after him. It was commissioned on April
2, 1945, and decommissioned Sept. 16, 1968. A camp and a baseball field on Guam also were named in his honor.
Meantime, a new white marble marker with a Medal of Honor emblem and gold lettering has been placed at Witek’s grave, according to Claude E. Arnold, superintendent of the national cemetery.
The citation says Witek is honored “for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving at Guam.”
Witek, according to the citation, “daringly remained standing to fire a full magazine from his automatic (weapon) at point-blank range into a depression housing Japanese troops when his rifle platoon was halted by heavy surprise fire from well-camouflaged enemy positions, killing eight of the enemy and enabling the greater part of his platoon to take cover.”
During his platoon’s withdrawal for consolidation of lines, Witek ‘‘remained to safeguard a severely wounded comrade, courageously returning the enemy’s fire until the arrival of stretcher bearers, and then covering the evacuation by sustained fire as
he moved backward toward his own lines.”
With his platoon again “pinned down by hostile machine gun,” Witek, on his initiative, “moved forward boldly to the reinforcing tanks and infantry, alternately throwing hand grenades and firing as he advanced to within five to 10 yards of the enemy position,” and destroying the hostile machine gun emplacement and an additional eight Japanese before he himself was struck down by an enemy rifleman.”
The citation concludes that Witek’s “valiant and inspiring action effectively reduced the enemy’s firepower, thereby enabling his platoon to attain its objective, and reflects the highest credit upon (him) and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.”
He was born December 10, 1921, in Derby, Connecticut, a city of about 13,000 near New Haven. Distant cousins of his still reside there.
He entered the military service on January 20, 1942. His parents are deceased. The father, Jacob, died while the family lived in Connecticut. They later moved to Chicago.
Witek’s body was returned to the United States for burial on January 19, 1949.
Military sources said Witek was one of two Marine Medal of Honor winners in the Battle of Guam. The other was then Capt. Louis H. Wilson Jr., who now is a General in command of the Marine Corps.
Besides Mrs. Christy, two brothers, another sister, and two nieces of Witek are expected to attend the ceremonies.
The brothers are John J. and C. Paul, and the sister is Mrs. Stanley (Stephanie) Musolff, all of Chicago. The nieces are Linda and Susan, daughters of Mrs. Christy.
Another brother, Stanley, lives in Madeira Beach, Florida, and will not be able to attend.
Initially buried in the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps Cemetery on Guam, PFC Witek’s remains were repatriated and buried on January 19, 1949, in Rock Island National Cemetery, Rodman Avenue, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois; Section E, Grave 72. Photo from FindAGrave.com.
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