right|border|259x259px

Philip Streczyk (25 November 1918 25 June 1958) was a technical sergeant in the 1st Infantry Division of the United States Army during World War II. He is best known for being one of the first Soldiers off Easy Red sector on Omaha Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

Biography

Streczyk was born to Polish parents Andrzej "Andrew" Streczyk (born 1876 in Austria-Hungary) and Marya (born 1886 in Austria-Hungary). Streczyk was a native of East Brunswick Township, New Jersey . He had nine siblings.

Streczyk quit school in eighth grade to help support his family, working as a truck driver for the Wagner truck company of Cliffwood, New Jersey until he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1941 at the age of 22. Streczyk was able to speak Polish and German, and used this ability during D-Day.

D-Day

Streczyk is famous for being one of the first men off the beach at Omaha Beach. He served in E Company, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division, under Lieutenant John M. Spalding. He and his men helped make the breakthrough there on D-Day possible. His platoon landed on the Easy Red sector, and made it to the shingle embankment largely intact, unlike most in the first wave. Instead of attacking up the beach exits, as was planned, he instead helped find and clear a path up the mined bluffs, left of Exit E-1. Once at the top, he attacked the enemy fortifications from the rear, clearing out trenches and pillboxes along Exit E-1 and taking prisoners. He was able to interrogate several of the Ost battalion POWs because he spoke fluent Polish, German, and English . Later on D-Day, he was involved in actions further inland at Colleville-sur-Mer.

thumb|TSgt Streczyk receives the British Military Medal from Field Marshal Montgomery for gallantry in action during D-Day .

For his actions on D-Day, Streczyk was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross pinned on him by General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower in July 1944. Field Marshal Bernard L. Montgomery personally awarded him the British Military Medal in July 1944 .

Prior to D-Day, Streczyk saw action in other major battles with the Big Red One including: Tunisia and Sicily. From March to August 1943, across both campaigns, he earned 3 Silver Star medals for gallantry in action.

After D-Day, he fought in the Battle of the Mons pocket in Belgium, the Battle of Aachen in Germany and the Battle of Hürtgen Forest in Germany. Philip was awarded his 4th Silver Star for combat actions in Belgium in September 1944. Overall, his 440 days of combat across multiple theaters earned him 6 bronze battle stars along with several other service medals .

During the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, Streczyk reached a breaking point. After an intense bombardment, he "shook uncontrollably and babbled incoherently". Philip was evacuated to an Army General Hospital at Camp Butner in North Carolina in November 1944. In an interview with a journalist during his convalescence, he called his unit "the best platoon a man ever had" . Philip was subsequently discharged from the U.S. Army in 1945.

Philip's hometown paper dubbed him "a one-man invasion" . His company commander, then-Captain Edward Wozenski, later called him "the greatest unsung hero of World War II" . Wozenski also stated that "if he did not earn a Congressional Medal of Honor, no one did” .thumb|July 2023, Memorial Brick, [[National Museum of the United States Army, Fort Belvoir, VA]]

thumb|November 2024, Philip's Grave, East Brunswick, NJ

Post-war life

He married Sophie Karanewsky at St. Mary of Ostrabama Church in South River, NJ in 1945 and they had four children . The family spent some time back in East Brunswick, NJ, St. Petersburg, FL and moved to Warwick, NY in the mid-1950s.

Streczyk had frequent nightmares and was in persistent pain from the physical and emotional wounds he sustained during his time in combat. This ultimately led to his suicide on 25-June 1958 .

Posthumous Honors

On November 8, 2024, in honor of the 80th anniversary of D-Day and for Veterans Day 2024, Streczyk's son, Ron received several awards on his father's behalf during a special ceremony at VFW Post 133 in East Brunswick, NJ .

  • The New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal from the NJ Department of Military & Veterans Affairs
  • Formal induction as a Distinguished Member of the 16th Infantry Regiment by LTC (ret) Steven Clay, 16th Infantry Regiment Association .
  • Proclamation recognizing Philip's service delivered by the East Brunswick Township Council President, Kevin McEvoy
  • Joint Legislative Resolution honoring Philip's legacy by the New Jersey Legislature sponsored by State Senator Patrick J. Diegnan and Assemblymen Robert Karabinchak and Sterley Stanley.

Afterwards, a brief wreath laying ceremony was conducted at Philip's newly cleaned grave to honor and remember his bravery and sacrifice during World War II .

References

  • Men of the 16th Infantry