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Joseph Edward Mazula

PVT in 603rd Engineer Camouflage Bn : Co C

ASN#13087569

Born 1921 in PA, Died 1996

Artist

County of enlistment: Pittsburgh, PA
Other residence(s): PIttsburgh, PA
United States Army, European Theatre of Operations
Occupation before the war: commercial artists
Notes: Co Clerk - money handler
Source: 603rd Camouflage Engineer Roster provided by W. Anderson; Comment by Howard Holt; Company C roster

Joseph Mazula was born on June 8, 1921 in Etna, PA, the younger of two sons. His father was a blacksmith; both of his parents had been born in Austria/Hungary/Czechoslovakia (depending on the census year); they were German speaking.

Joe graduated from high school in 1939 and went to work. He registered for the draft on February 16, 1942, at which time he was living with his family in Pittsburgh and working at Boyd's, Inc.

He enlisted on July 6, 1942, describing himself as a commercial artist. Like many other artists he was eventually assigned to the 603rd Engineer Camouflage Battalion, and he served as company clerk for Company C of the unit. He was overseas with the unit from May, 1944 through July, 1945, and was discharged from the Army on October 25, 1945.

Back in Pittsburgh he married Mary Uravich on June 1, 1949; they would go on to have three children: John, Thomas, and Audrey.

Little else is known about his life or work. His father died in 1994, at the age of 102, and his son John died in 1995, at the age of 42.  A year later, on November 20, 1996, Joe died. His obituary says that he had worked at the Mt. Nazareth Learning Center. (It's unclear if this was a retirement job.) He is buried at Christ Our Redeemer Catholic Cemetery in Pittsburgh, PA.

Sources:

1930 census

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/49103353:6224?tid=&pid=&queryId=05500b9b5d2247546372cb462ea290b9&_phsrc=kWV6&_phstart=successSource

1940 census

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/28100119:2442?tid=&pid=&queryId=05500b9b5d2247546372cb462ea290b9&_phsrc=kWV5&_phstart=successSource

1942 draft card

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/8989882:2238?tid=&pid=&queryId=05500b9b5d2247546372cb462ea290b9&_phsrc=MFI10&_phstart=successSource

1942 enlistment record

search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=8939&h=74...

1949 marriage record (license)

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/3549119:61381?tid=&pid=&queryId=05500b9b5d2247546372cb462ea290b9&_phsrc=MFI11&_phstart=successSource

1949 marriage record

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/3549120:61381?tid=&pid=&queryId=05500b9b5d2247546372cb462ea290b9&_phsrc=MFI14&_phstart=successSource

1950 Pennsylvania Veteran Compensation Application Files

https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=3147&h=1260338&tid=&pid=&queryId=05500b9b5d2247546372cb462ea290b9&usePUB=true&_phsrc=MFI9&_phstart=successSource

1996 Social Security applications and claims index

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/26897857:60901?tid=&pid=&queryId=05500b9b5d2247546372cb462ea290b9&_phsrc=kWV1&_phstart=successSource

1996 Find a Grave record (contains death notice)

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/189250334/joseph-edward-mazula

1996 obituary in the News Record (North Hills PA)

newspapers.com/image/41810933/?terms=joseph%20e%20mazula&match...

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