We Saw It Through

Unit History Book of the 331st Infantry Regiment

Unit History of the Three Thirty First Combat Team, Today, Tomorrow, Forever. Hardcover with original dust cover, 238 pages plus foldout map at back. The Foreword is written by Colonel Robert H. York, Commanding Officer of the 331st Infatry Regiment. History of the regiment and attached units that fought in France, the Rhineland campaign, the Battle of the Bulge, and into Germany. Lots of photos of the battles and the soldiers. A listing of casualties and of those men who received citations for medals. A hard to find original Unit History.

Written and Published by Sgt. Jack M. Straus with assistance of The TFF staff. Artist-Sgt. George Friedberg
Printed by F. Bruckmann K-G., Munich (Germany), no date, but circa 1945-1946.

This copy once belonged to Matthew C. Czaplicki (#31324488) who was with Weapons Platoon, Company I, 331st Infantry Regiment.

Sgt Matthew C. Czaplicki

Sergeant Matthew C. Czaplicki

Matthew (°Mieczislaw) Chester Czaplicki was born in Bristol, Connecticut on January 12, 1924, to Stanislawa Napierski and Czestaw Czaplicki, Polish immigrants. He attended John J. Jennings Grammar School and graduated from Bristol Central High School in 1942. After graduation Matt worked at New Departure Mfg Co.

Matthew 'Matt' Czaplicki enlisted in the U.S. Army and spent a year at Texas A&M studying and playing baseball for the Aggies. In 1944 he was shipped overseas and was among the landing forces post D-Day in Europe. Matthew Czaplicki was assigned to the 83rd Infantry Division as a replacement. He joined Company I of the 331st Infantry Regiment on July 7, 1944 while they were in the vicinity of Sainteny. He was wounded in France on July 13 or 15, 1944 (listed in the MR of July 16, 1944) and shipped back to England for recovery of shrapnel wounds to his leg. While in England he developed his affinity for Scotch whiskey and learned the Army barbering technique that his two boys wore until high school. He returned to combat in Germany and was honorably discharged from the Army in December of 1945. For his service he was awarded, among other decorations, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart Medal for his wounds in Sainteny, Normandy, France.

Upon returning from service, he went back to work at New Departure. On June 15, 1946, he married Helen Miaskowski. In 1965, with the merger of New Departure and Hyatt Bearings, Matt decided to stay with the company and so the family packed up and moved to Milan, Ohio. While in Milan, Matt was a great supporter of the Milan, and later Edison, Booster Clubs. In 1988 Matt and Helen moved to Huron for retirement. Matt was a member of the American Legion Post in Milan, the VFW, the Eagles Club in Huron, the Knights of Columbus in Norwalk and St. Peter Catholic Church in Huron. Matt was an avid golfer and was a treasurer for the Retirees Golf League at Thunderbird Hills. He embraced the Buckeye Spirit of the locals and became an OSU fan of all sports. At home, he enjoyed woodworking and making barn siding picture frames. He enjoyed traveling to visit relatives and especially South with the snowbirds so he could keep his golf game sharp.
Matthew "Matt" Chester Czaplicki, 91, of Huron, passed away on January 13, 2015, in Firelands Regional Medical Center after a brief illness. He was preceded in death by his wife, Helen, in 2012. They are buried at the Milan Cemetery, Milan, Erie County, Ohio. Matthew is survived by his two sons, Bruce (Laurie) Czaplicki of Norwalk and Brian (Lois Boone) Czaplicki of Sandusky.

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