Reflections on Uncle Tony, a real hero
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Yesterday I visited my Uncle Tony – Anthony Kosierowski – in a nursing home in Wilkes Barre, Pa. Uncle Tony is 90 years old and is receiving hospice care because his body is failing. Confined to a wheelchair, he indeed is a shadow of his old self. His once robust 6’1” frame once served him well as a coal miner, machinist, laborer and, perhaps most importantly, as a soldier. Now the ravages of heart disease, arthritis and dementia are becoming more manifest each week. Indeed his passing is near.
Uncle Tony served his country with distinction during World War II. He fought against Nazi Germany in the European theatre with the 385th Bomb Group of the 8th Air Force from June 1943 to February 1945. During this time, he completed 33 combat missions operating as a tail gunner and bomb assessment photographer flying in the famous B-17 bomber. He participated in the Air offensive- Europe, Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland and Ardennes Campaigns and was awarded the Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters and the Distinguished Unit Badge with one oak leaf cluster. Every mission was fraught with extreme peril. Records indicate that in every completed mission. His plane never returned with all four engines operative. Uncle Tony gave the best years of his life to his country and performed brilliantly without ever being boastful or bitter.
After the war, he returned to greater Wilke Barre area and did a brief stint in the coal mines before migrating to Philadelphia. There he worked in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and then later as a machinist. Following his father’s death, he decided to return home and care for his aging mother.
Uncle Tony is a man of faith and attended Mass daily. His belief in his God permeated all his actions and disposition. His life was characterized by a cheerful and giving spirit to his friends and family.
Pope Benedict reminds us to visit the elderly not out of a sense of obligation, but as “repayment for a debt of gratitude.” Uncle Tony represents the best of the “Greatest Generation.” He answered the call to duty for his country and his family without hesitation. He served his country courageously and, along with others of his waning generation, ensured our freedom by his heroic sacrifices. He is an exemplar of honor, duty, faith and service – a true hero and paragon of humility and selflessness.
I hope readers can reflect on the contributions of elderly friends, family and especially veterans. I entreat our readers to visit our infirmed and to thank them. I am already grieving Uncle Tony’s passing, although he has not “transitioned” yet. But I will do my best to visit Wilkes Barre soon for one more thank you.