Rudolph J. Metelko
Biography: Rudolph “Rudy” Julius Metelko was born on Dec. 15, 1917 to Joseph and Julia Metelko. The family lived in Cleveland, OH where Rudy attended Collinwood High School. During his junior year, he quit school to help his family during the depression. He went to work as a carpenter and later married Alpha May (Waite) Metelko. She was born in Mentor, OH. They were married on June 8, 1941 and made their residence in the Cleveland area.
Service Time: Rudy entered the service on Mar, 23, 1942 at Ft. Thomas in Newport, KY. He is listed on the 6th TD Group payroll roster for July 28th, 1943. His name is listed on a pair of wooden shoes brought back by another member of the unit. Those shoes are marked, August of 1944, which was during the Brittany Campaign. He is also shown in one of the photos my father brought home. The last mention I have of him is that he transferred out of the unit and into the 1st TD Brigade on July 13th, 1945. During his career he reached the rank of Master Sergeant and received a Bronze Star, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 4 Bronze Campaign Stars as well as the Good Conduct Medal.
After returning from the service, Rudy went back to his former career as a carpenter. The Metelkos had both a son, Robert born in 1943, while Rudy was in the service and later a daughter, Linda. Rudy truly enjoyed fishing and being with his family. He passed away on April 18, 1988 and was cremated.
The main photo above shows Rudy at the end of the war posing for a professional photo in his uniform. The photos below show him with his first child in 1943, standing in a field during his time in England and Europe 1944-45, kneeling to show off his crops in Sept. of 1976 and wearing a big smile during a fishing trip in 1986.
Research: I have learned that the more unusual the name, the easier it is to find people. In addition, Rudy’s wife is still alive in good health. I want to thank Rudy’s son Bob for providing much of this information and family photos.
