By Deborah Larsen
Frank Joseph Stanich
Frank Joseph Stanich was born in Eveleth, Minnesota, on July 26, 1912, the son of Frank and Frances Stanich. He grew up in Minnesota but came to Oakland County, Michigan, as a young adult to work in an auto factory. By 1942, Frank and his wife lived on Livernois Road in Avon Township, and Frank worked at General Motors Truck & Bus in Pontiac.
In 1941, Frank entered the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division. The regiment went to Europe and fought through France and the Hürtgen Forest. While resting in the Ardennes sector, the 109th was hit hard when the Germans launched a last-ditch offensive known as the Battle of the Bulge. Frank was killed in action on December 18, 1944, in heavy combat in the vicinity of Longsdorf, Luxembourg. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.
Frank Joseph Stanich died at age 32 on December 18, 1944, and was laid to rest in the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial at Hamm, Luxembourg.