Henry D. Klisiewicz

NAME: Henry D. Klisiewicz

ASN: 11047798

PLACE OF BIRTH:

DATE OF BIRTH: ?? ??? 1923

DATES OF SERVICE: 09 Feb 1942 -

UNIT ASSIGNED:

HHC 509th PIB

A CO 509th PIB

CAMPAIGNS: Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno, Anzio, Southern France, Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland

AWARDS: Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge with two combat jump stars, Silver Star Medal, Bronze Star Medal, EAME Campaign Medal with arrowhead and five campaign stars, World War II Victory Medal

SUMMARY OF SERVICE:

09 Feb 1942 - Enlisted at Boston, Mass - NARA Enlistment Record

Henry Klisiewicz joins the 509th PIB as a replacement in North Africa

14 Sep 1943 - Pvt. Henry D. Klisiewicz 11047798 2nd Bn, 509th PIR Participated in Operation GIANT III the Airborne invasion of Avellino, Italy. Dropped 20 miles behind enemy lines was reported as missing in action for about 2 weeks until he made it back through friendly lines as the 5th Army advanced off the beachhead.

22 Jan 1944 - Participated in Operation Shingle the amphibious landing at Anzio, Italy

10 Apr 1944 - Pvt. Henry D. Klisiewicz 11047798 HHC, 509th PIB 10 Apr 1944 GO 5 The following named Officers and Enlisted Men of Companies indicated having fulfilled all requirements as set forth in Par #3. a and b, Section I, WD Circular #269, dated 27 October 1943, are hereby announced as Combat Infantrymen and are entitled to wear the badge as specified in WD Circular above.

15 Aug 1944 - Pfc. Henry Klisiewiez 11047798 Hq Co 509th PIB, 24 Jul 1944 Listed on jump manifest for Operation DRAGOON (FORCE RUGBY) the airborne invasion of Southern France, Bn Plane 16, Hq Co Plane 7, Seat 12

23 Aug 1944 - Action at St Cassien, France for which he will earn the Silver Star Medal

On 15 August 1944 at 0423, Henry Klisiewicz, a Medic in Headquarters, 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion attached to the Light Machine Gun Platoon jumped into the foggy darkness onto a rugged drop zone C, south of Le Muy, France along with 45 other plane loads of paratroopers. Their mission was to secure the road networks passing through Le Muy to deny the enemy the ability to reinforce their own positions along the coast and giving time for the amphibious forces to come ashore and establish a strong foothold for the long anticipated liberation of Southern France.

The 509th would be successful in carrying out its mission and was given an additional mission to capture the southern half of Le Muy while the 550th Glider Infantry captured the northern half of the town. This was accomplished despite half of the 509th PIB (another 45 planes) being miss dropped at Saint Tropez and accidentally liberating that town. 23 Soldiers of the 509th would be killed or missing in action during these first three days of operations. Even tougher days for the 509th PIB were ahead.

On 19 August 1944 the 509th received new orders to move out and secure the right flank of the advance of the US 7th Army which was rapidly advancing north to join forces with the allies who landed in Normandy in June. On 20 August 1944 the 509th PIB moved into positions vacated by the 141st Infantry Regiment of the 36th Infantry Division. There they found themselves facing enemy defenses on Castle Ridge north of Napoule occupied by the German 28th Reserve Jager Battalion. Plans to attack were to commence the next morning.

On 21 August 1944, B and C companies of the 509th PIB would advance to attack while Headquarters and A Company would provide support by fire to keep the enemy busy while B and C Companies advanced across a deep ravine under enemy fire. B Company would suffer heavy casualties and Henry Klisiewicz and other 509th Medics would aid in providing care and evacuating the wounded back to safety of the battalion aid station for further care. C Company captured the castle on the ridge and what few Germans that were not captured or killed, fled to the next hill called San Peyre.

The next morning it was A Companies turn to attack the hill San Peyre and liberate the town of Napoule. They did so by noon meeting only light resistance. The 509th PIB was ready to advance on Cannes.

On 23 August 1944 the 509th PIB came upon a destroyed bridge across the Saignes River. With the 645th Tank Destroyer Battalion attached to support the 509th PIB, it was necessary to secure this area to allow the combat engineers of the 596th Airborne Engineer Company to make repairs to allow the armor to continue its advance. The 509th PIB would push east and secure the next key terrain and deny the enemy the ability to place effective fires on the combat engineers. A Company would advance across the Saignes River and the parallel running Beal Creek into a clearing along a road facing a ridge. 1st Platoon, A Company led by Lt Darden would be in the lead with the Light Machine Gun Platoon following next led by Lt Lieber. 2nd and 3rd Platoons in trail. At 2000 hours, 1st platoon was hit hard by two hidden anti-tank guns firing directly into their ranks combined with mortar fire. Lt Darden was wounded immediately several times but kept leading his men to fall back in an orderly manner to a more defensible position. Simultaneously, Lt Lieber directed his Light Machine Gun platoon to take up positions on either side of the road with their .50 cal and .30 cal machine guns and immediately lay in suppressive fire. The Germans seeing this new threat, zeroed in on these positions and quickly knocked them out. Lt Lieber was severely wounded and with other wounded and killed were exposed in the kill zone. All the medics including the new battalion surgeon Doc Roy Baze set about their work while 1st, 2nd 3rd and the LMG Platoon established an organized defense against an expected counterattack with 3rd Platoon led by Lt Shaker on the left flank and 2nd Platoon on the right flank.

Fully exposed to enemy fire Henry Klisiewicz and the other medics repeatedly ran out to recover the wounded bringing them back to Beal Creek and placing them under the bridge. Once all were brought back to the creek further care was administered and preparations were made to further evacuate them to the rear. With the bridge itself still under enemy fire, the medics began the process of swimming the casualties across the 30 foot wide and 10-foot-deep creek up on the opposite bank and then back the six hundred yards to the Saignes River and finally to the Battalion Aid station for further care. The battle as well as the evacuation continued for five hours. The 3rd platoon managed to successfully repel the enemy counterattack led by their wounded Lt Shaker who continued to move along the line encouraging his men and directing their efforts. Lt Lieber was severely wounded and was not able to crawl/walk back and was the last to be evacuated from the Beal Creek bridge.

Lt Harry Lieber would describe it as follows: "Out of the night came Henry Klisiewicz, the machine gun platoon medic. He had been busy tying up and evacuating the wounded on Chuck's side. He finished tying me up, then carried me piggyback to the aid station, which was a longways back. On the way we met Chuck Holmes [LMG Platoon Sergeant], whose arm was in a sling, but he had stayed to get the platoon in a defensive position before going to the aid station."

The 509th PIB had repelled the last organized German assault in this sector. The 509th PIB advanced the next day to find that the Germans, out of men and resources, were falling back leaving the path open for the liberation of Cannes.

PFC HENRY KLISIEWICZ: Silver Star Citation: The infantry platoon to which Pfc. Klisiewicz was attached as a medical aid man had been subjected to heavy artillery and machine gun fire and was forced to withdraw. The only route of withdrawal was along a road under direct enemy observation and fire. Pfc. Klisiewicz, knowing that the enemy could overrun the position at any time, volunteered to remain with the wounded. Although constantly exposed to enemy fire, Pfc Klisiewicz moved from one wounded Soldier to another, administering first aid, and successfully evacuated four of his comrades along the heavily shelled road to a place of comparative safety. Again exposing himself to enemy fire, he moved far in advance of his own troops and located an officer who was seriously wounded. As the wounded officer was unable to walk, Pfc Klisiewicz, after administering first aid, placed the wounded officer on his back and carried him a distance of over four hundred yards along the shell beaten road to a point where other aid men completed the evacuation.

Pvt. Henry D. Klisiewicz 11047798 LMG Plt, A Co, 509th PIB Medic Southern France page 92, 98 in the book First Airborne Task Force by Michel De Trez

04 Nov 1944 - Pvt. Henry D. Klisiewicz 11047798 509th PIB 04 Nov 1944 GO 29 HQ 1st ABTF Award of Silver Star Silver Star 384 Stand in the Door Charles H. Doyle

Henry Klisiewicz would continue to serve in the 509th PIB through the liberation of Cannes and Nice, France, combat patrols into the French Maritme Alps. Then in December 1944 the 509th would move out to take up positions in the vicinity of Manhay, Belgium in what would be referred to as the Northern shoulder of the Battle of the Bulge. In January 1945 the 509th PIB would advance through Spa, Belgium on to Born, Belgium where on 21 January 1945 Henry Klisiewicz would earn a Bronze Star Medal.

HENRY C. KLISIEWICZ: Bronze Star Medal Citation: 11047298, Private First Class, 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion. For heroic achievement in action on 21 January 1945 at *** and ***, BELGIUM. Private First Class KLISIEWICZ, medical aid man, without hesitation, ran forward one hundred yards over the open ground under fire to administer aid to a wounded man. He then led the man to a place of comparative safety. When overwhelming odds forces the platoon to withdraw, he voluntarily remained with his wounded comrade. At that time one of the squad leaders was hit and Private First Class KLISIEWICZ again braved the heavy fire to bring him fifty yards to cover and administer treatment. He withdrew on himself only after one man had died and he was able to assist the other to move. This action is typical of the courageous service rendered by Private First Class KLISIEWICZ on another occasion at ***. Entered military service from EAST DOUGLAS, MASSACHUSETTS.

Having entered the Ardennes with about 700 men. The 509th PIB would finally come off the line. On 28 January 1945 they reported strength as only 7 officers and 48 enlisted men. On 01 March 1945 the 509th PIB would be disbanded and surviving Soldiers were assigned to various units in the 82nd Airborne.

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