Person:Gerald Lamberjack (1)

Gerald L Lamberjack

Lamberjack, a sergeant, was killed in action July 23, 1943, probably in Si cily, according to the Fostoria Daily Review of Aug. 16, 1943.

The paper said his mother, Veronica, received word of his death while atte nding Mass at St. Wendelin Church. The message said he was killed in acti on in the N African theater.

"Mom came over to our house on Sunday morning," said Blanche Shultz, Geral d's sister. When Veronica got home from church, she found the notice on t he door that the Army was trying to find her, Shultz said.

"She came over to my house and she was crying," she said.

Mrs. Lamberjack told the Daily Review she had received a letter from Gera ld two days before, dated July 19, 1943, in which he said was no long er in Africa, but was fighting with his outfit in a place, believed to ha ve been Sicily, where "the weather is extremely hot."

Before being drafted, Gerald had spent a lot of time at Shultz's home help ing her take care of her children while her husband was at work.

"I'd be ironing and he'd be holding the baby and my husband would come ho me from Seneca Wire," she said.

He was inducted into the Army Jan. 19, 1942, at Fort Hayes in Columbus.

Lamberjack trained as an infantryman at Camp Wolters, TX, and Fort Brag g, N.C He was sent overseas to Ireland in October 1942.

Lamberjack was a member of the 39th Infantry. He was a veteran of five maj or offensives in N Africa, including the invasion on Nov. 8, 1942.

When he was sent to N Africa, he wrote letters to the family all the tim e, Shultz said.

When Lamberjack was sent from N Africa to Italy, he was supposed to g et 10 days leave, she said. He was not granted leave, but came home anywa y. He and a couple others came back to the United States with nothing b ut the clothes they were wearing.

Lamberjack stayed for nine or 10 days, Shultz said, then went back. He w as never punished. In fact, the incident was never mentioned, she said.

That leave was the last time the family saw him.

Back in Sicily, Lamberjack's platoon of about 30 men was on patrol wh en he stepped on a mine.

"He was killed instantly," Shultz said. "He didn't suffer."

After the war, their sister, Hilda Ruffing and the rest of the family, wor ked to get Lamberjack's body brought back to the U.S His funeral was at O ur Lady of Consolation in Carey, Shultz said.

"When they blew those bugles and all that, it just about tore your heart o ut," she said.

Lamberjack's grave is in Carey, the same city where he was born Nov. 24, 1 915.

Before his induction, Lamberjack had lived in Fostoria for five years a nd worked at National Carbon. His nephew, Ronald Lamberjack, has a pictu re of Gerald that hung at National Carbon for many years after his death.

Shultz said the family was proud Fostoria named one of the reservoirs aft er her brother.

"I thought it was an honor," she said. "Gerald was a guy that just got alo ng with people. That's what hurt so bad, because everybody loved Geral d. I never remember him getting mad."