John Vukelich
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Air Force
VUKELICH, John
John Vukelich was born on June 3rd 1920 to Thomas & Lucy Vukelich in Duluth, Minnesota.
Mr. Vukelich enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps on November 6th 1942 at Fort Snelling in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Home at entry: Duluth.
He served with the 1333rd Base Unit of the Air Transport Command in the U.S. and the China-Burma-India Theater. He was the non-commissioned officer in charge of flying freight to China from Chabua, India. He rose to the rank of as a Staff Sergeant (SSGT).
SGT Vukelich shared the following, "Northeast India also was the area of Nagu headhunters who were used to bring in flying crews who either were shot down or downed by aircraft failure. The area was very thick jungle.
"Our air fields were in the Assau Valley. The Himalaya mountains were on three sides. All supplies for China had to go through our air fields. The area was extremely miserable: heat, humidity, monsoon rain, snakes, jungle rot...
"My most memorable experience was being driver for passengers General (George) Stratemeyer, General (Albert) Wedemeyer and Lord Louis Mountbatten (King of England's cousin) who was leader of the British Commandos. That was enough brass to flatten the tires. I'll always remember how they called world leaders by their first name."
SGT Vukelich earned the following merits for his service:
- Presidential Unit Citation,
- Good Conduct Medal,
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 2 bronze battle stars,
- World War II Victory Medal, -and-
- four overseas service bars.
He was honorably discharged on November 10th 1945, at Truax Field, Wisconsin. After the war he returned home and married Mildred [Simonson] Vukelich in 1946.
Mr. Vukelich died on June 21st 2006 at 83 years of age. He is buried at Sunrise Memorial Park Cemetery in Hermantown, Minnesota.
Source(s): Hometown Heroes: The Saint Louis County World War II Project, 334.
Albert J. Amatuzio Research Center | Veterans Memorial Hall (vets-hall.org)
John Vukelich in WWII Army Enlistment Records - Fold3
