John Paul Sersha
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
SERSHA, John Paul
John Paul Sersha was born April 29th 1924, the son of Paul Frank and Angela (Procenz) Sersha.
He entered the Army on October 26th 1943 out of Ft. Snelling, Minnesota.
Mr. Sersha served as a Private he was assigned to the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, Company F, of the 82nd Airborne Division. in the European Theater.
PVT Sersha participated in an attack on the Kiekberg Forest in Holland but failed to return to his unit and was declared MIA (Missing In Action). Following the war he was officially declared KIA (Killed In Action) on Sept, 27th 1944.
On Dec. 16th 2015. DNA analysis at the Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska confirmed the identity of his remains. He is now buried at Eveleth Cemetery in Eveleth, Minnesota.
Source: Hometown Heroes: The Saint Louis County World War II Project, 291.
The following is from the Duluth News Tribune, May 22, 2016:
Pvt. John Paul Sersha was a resident of West Eveleth passed away Sept. 27, 1944. He was born April 29, 1924, the son of Paul Frank and Angela (Procenz) Sersha. He attended the Leonidas School. He later worked for the Duluth, Missabe, and Iron Range Railroad Company.
He was inducted into the U.S. Army on Nov. 17, 1943, at Ft. Snelling. He received infantry training at Camp Fannin near Tyler, Texas, a temporary training and POW camp during World War II. He was then sent to Ft. George Meade in Maryland where he was assigned to the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, Company F, of the 82nd Airborne Division.
He arrived at Camp Scraptoft near Leicester, England in July, 1944, where preparations were being made for the largest single airborne operation of the war, Market Garden, in the Netherlands. Company F gliders landed in the Overasselt area on September 23.
Following an attack on the Kiekberg Forest on September 27, John did not return to his unit and was declared MIA. Following the war he was officially declared as killed in action on Sept, 27, 1944.
Remains discovered in 1948, were thought by the Military to be those of Pvt. Sersha but could not be positively identified and were thus declared "non-recoverable" following a further investigation in 1950. He was identified as X-7429 and buried in the Ardennes American Cemetery, Neuville, Belgium.
Following a request by the family, the Secretary of the Army approved a disinterment which took place on Dec. 16, 2015. DNA analysis at the Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska confirmed his identity.
Memorials are preferred and may be directed to the Disabled American Veterans, Kolstad Chapter No. 23.
