John Tomko, Jr.
Biography: John Tomko Jr. was born on March 1, 1920, in Whiteside, Woodward County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of John Tomko and Olga Czarnecka, both of whom had immigrated from Ukraine. His enlistment record shows he completed school through the 8th grade and the 1940 U.S. Census indicates he lived in Morann, PA, and was working as a road construction laborer for the WPA (Works Progress Administration).
Service Time: John entered the Army on February 5, 1941, at Altoona, PA. We don’t have any information on his early military time but it is likely he was a member of the 18th Antitank Battalion (Provisional), which became the 818th Tank Destroyer Battalion following that unit’s activation on December 15, 1941. Private First Class Tomko was a member of Company A. The unit trained at a number of military installations including Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Camp Hood, Texas, and Mansfield, Louisiana, where they took part in large scale maneuvers.
The unit moved to Fort Dix, New Jersey, and then Camp Shanks, New York, for final preparations prior to shipment overseas. The men boarded ship and departed on October 21, 1943, arriving in Dundrum, Northern Ireland, on November 1st and began training for the upcoming invasion. John was noted to be a good boxer while they were in Ireland. The unit moved to England where they were stationed from May to July. They boarded transports in Weymouth, England, on July 11, 1945 (D+36) and landed on Utah Beach in France on the 14th with M10 tank destroyers. On July the 18th, units of the 818th began firing indirect fire missions for the 5th Infantry Division artillery. On the 26th, they began supporting the 5th ID infantry regiments with direct fire on enemy strongpoints. By the end of July, the pace of American troop advancement into France was beginning to pick up.
The unit advanced across France during August and September to the area of Metz, then supported operations along the Saar River until December. They then transferred to the Ardennes sector and participated in the race across Germany beginning in March 1945. The 818th converted to M36 tank destroyers prior to mid-April and ended the war in Kienberg, Czechoslovakia. John would have been eligible for the American Defense Service, Good Conduct and WWII Victory medals along with the EAME medal with credit for the campaigns of Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe. He arrived back in the U.S. on September 30, 1945, and was discharged at Indiantown Gap, PA, on October 14th.
John returned home, and on July 27, 1947, he married the former Margie W. Land at St. Mary’s Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in Ramey, PA. She was born in Lometa, Texas, in 1925, and was the daughter of James B. Land and Myrtle E. Woods. The new couple lived near Houtzdale, PA, with John’s parents for a short time. They then moved to Detroit, Michigan, where their son, Marko, and daughter, Olga, were born. John worked at an automobile assembly plant and soon became an iron worker. In the early 1950’s one of his construction jobs included the Mackinac Bridge in northern MI, during which time he temporarily relocated their family to St. Ignace, MI, for a couple years. Upon moving back to Detroit, they had another son, Kevin, and John continued with iron work, building several auto plants throughout Detroit, coal conveyer belts at shipyards in Marine City, etc. Further notable construction projects include the Pontiac Silverdome (former home of the Detroit Lions) and the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit.
John was an avid hunter, trapper, and fisherman, and raised several beagle pups as hunting companions. He also played guitar and accordion, and generally had a quiet and stoic demeanor. After retiring from ironworking, he and Margie bought a 3-acre farm outside Imlay City, Michigan, where they raised chickens, guinea hens, and a few ducks, and John tended to a huge, beautiful vegetable garden. He passed away unexpectedly and peacefully at home on August 2, 1995, at the age of 75. We would like to thank John’s granddaughter, Katie, and her father, for providing much of the information used in this tribute.