Robert Habel

United States Army

Spec 4

1971 – 1973

Mark Janko

United States Army – Desert Storm

Sargeant

1990 – 2001

Joseph “Doc” Kucaba

United States Army Infantry 95th Div.

TEC4 Medic

World War II

Pa, Ma, and the children sat around the battery powered radio to listen to an update on the war raging in Europe.  In May, 1942 Joe Kucaba was drafted to fill Price County’s draft quota.  Joe left the farm in Harmony (Catawba, Wisconsin) to train as a Surgical Technician/Army Medic. As a medic Joe carried different kinds of basic first aid equipment such as sulfa powder, bandages and morphine for pain killer. As told by Joe’s friend, Ernest Link, “Medics did not carry firearms, depending on the enemy to respect the Red Cross on their helmet and arm band. From personal experience, however, this respect was not always accorded”. 1 It is certain that Joe performed his duties selflessly under constant threat of enemy gunfire. Following training, Joe was assigned to the 377th Regimental Medical Detachment, 95th Division, part of General Patton’s Third Army in France.  Joe came home on leave just before he was shipped overseas.  Joe left the United States on August 9, 1944, via troop ship and landed in France a few days later.  

The 95th Division came to be known as “The Iron Men of In Metz,” a moniker that follows The Division to this day. The liberation of the French City of Metz included an especially fierce battle for a hilltop position known as Chateau Brieux before advancing on the City of Metz proper. Joe undoubtedly witnessed unimaginable carnage during that battle, as the 377th took large numbers of casualties. While resting at a forward position waiting for the assault on Metz, Joe struck up a conversation with the GI lying on a nearby mattress. As they exchanged information, they came to realize that both were from the Town of Harmony, Price County, WI. The GI was Ernest “Ernie” Link, from Phillips, a man whose family farm was about 10 miles from the Kucaba farm.  They each recognized the family names but until that evening, had never met. They talked for hours, as duties permitted, and became best of friends. Ernie prepared a memoir in 1998 which detailed his first assignment to retrieve the fallen American soldiers on the battlefield around the Chateau. His description of those recovered attests to the heroism of medics like Joe, who braved bullets, mortars, and artillery fire while attempting to assist the wounded and dying. It’s no wonder that all medics serving on the battlefield were revered by the infantrymen, because they are the first line of medical treatment when a soldier is injured and may be the last calming voice they hear before dying. On November 20, 1944, a shot grazed Ernie’s knee. Another sniper bullet creased Ernie’s back near the spine.  Joe provided Ernie with medical attention.  Joe told Ernie the bullet that had creased his back was about an inch away from life paralysis or perhaps death. With Joe’s help and despite the close call, Ernie returned to duty. The next day Ernie’s platoon went on a reconnaissance mission.  A sniper bullet struck the “I” Company lieutenant’s arm and another sergeant’s leg.  Both were treated by Joe Kucaba and then evacuated.  “Over a period of two weeks, the company received 175 replacements, indicating an extremely high casualty rate. …”.  2 A “full Company” comprises 200 soldiers. Thus, in two weeks, the casualty rate for “I” Company was 87.5%. The fact that both Joe and Ernie survived the war without serious injury is truly remarkable.

The European conflict ended May 8, 1945, when Allied troops from the west met up with Russian forces from the east in Berlin.  Joe came home for a 30-day furlough expecting to report back to the Pacific Theatre to help with the war against Japan.  The 95th Division was in training awaiting assignment to the Pacific when victory over Japan was won on August 15, 1945.  On October 6, 1945, in Shelby, Mississippi, Joe was officially discharged from the Army.

Robert Hynek

United States Army

Staff Sargeant

1945 – 1947

Robert joined the Army in 1945 after graduating from Phillips High School that same year.  He trained at Camp Lee, Virginia.

John Johnson

United States Army

PFC

Feb. 3, 1954 – Jan. 28, 1956

Ernest G. Link

United States Army Infantry 95^th Div.

Staff Sargeant

World War II

In 1995, my Dad, Ernest Link, revisited some of the areas where he fought during World War II

as part of the 50 th Anniversary of the liberation of the French city of Metz. Following that visit,

he gathered the courage to write down some of his experiences in a memoir entitled “On The

Line, Memoirs of a GI.” In the opening of the manuscript was this entry: “I wish this to honor

the men of all combat infantry units who sacrificed their lives for their comrades, their military

units, and their country. According to the Apostle John, Jesus said ‘Greater love has no man than

this, that a man lay down his life for his friends…’ Ernest G. Link 1995”

Ernest G. Link, “Ernie” was born and raised on Link Road in the Town of Harmony, Price

County. His parents were George E. and Emma M. Link. The road was named for his

grandfather, G. Nicholas Link, who homesteaded there in 1894. Ernie enlisted in the US Army

in 1944. His parents were not opposed to the enlistment, but they worried for his safety, as all

parents of service members do. He trained at various locations prior to being sent to Europe.

Ernie boarded a troop ship for England on September 16, 1944. The ship weighed anchor on

September 18, and the journey across the Atlantic lasted about 8 days. Once in England and

after several intermittent stops, Ernie’s unit was assigned to “I” Company, 3 rd Battalion, 377 th

Regiment, 95 th Division on November 9, 1944. At that time, the Division was under the

command of General George S. Patton.

Many harrowing days and weeks followed, but one of the most memorable came when Ernie was

slightly wounded by two bullets fired by a German sniper. Someone called for the unit medic to

“patch up” his wounds. As it would turn out, that medic was none other than Joseph Kucaba Jr.,

from Catawba. Ernie had heard the Kucaba name, but never met the family, even though they

grew up less than 10 miles apart. “Doc” (as all medics were called) and Dad became instant

friends, spending as much time together as possible as the war raged on. Ernie and Doc ended

up spending over 100 days “on the line,” experiencing horrors that would forever change their

lives (e.g. although Ernie was raised hunting rabbits, deer, etc., he lost all desire to hunt or kill

anything ever again). Many of those horrors are recounted in Ernie’s memoir. One positive

experience of the war was the chance meeting of Doc and Ernie. They became great friends,

with Doc eventually serving as Best Man at Ernie’s wedding in 1950.

Unbeknownst to anyone until completion of his memoir, Ernie’s son, John, would end up deer

hunting with Doc’s nephews, Ron and John Kucaba, along with Doc’s great-nephew, Craig

Kucaba in the 1990’s. The Kucaba-Link connection remains strong to this day. “Thanks Doc,

for taking care of Dad during the most difficult time in history. Very Sincerely, John Link.”

If you are interested, a copy of “On the Line, Memoirs of a GI” is available as a digital file.

Simply email jelink@netnet.net, and I will forward a copy. There is no charge for the digital file.