The Anthony J. Dziuszko papers consist of 133 items dated April 29, 1941, to May 19, 1945. Included in the collection are 45 letters, nine documents and receipts, 74 photographs and five miscellaneous items. The 45 letters provide vivid descriptions of military life, and of the natives and surroundings on the various islands where Mr. Dziuszko served (these descriptions were occasionally edited by the military censors). He detailed both the difficult physical challenges of jungle fighting and the recreational activities of his regiment.
History: Anthony J. Dziuszko was born on February 3, 1917, to Adam and Mary Dziuszko, and died on November 21, 2001. He entered active military duty on March 5, 1941, and was assigned to Company G, 182nd Infantry Regiment, 26th Division, at Camp Edwards, Massachusetts. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the 182nd was re-assigned to Task Force 6814 and left the Brooklyn Port of Embarkation on January 23, 1942, to defend the French colony of New Caledonia against a possible attack by Japanese forces. In May 1942, Task Force 6814 was re-organized and constituted as the Americal Division.
Anthony Dziuszko's tour of duty included service in New Caledonia, Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, Viti Levu in the Fiji Islands, Bougainville in the Solomon Islands, and Leyte and Cebu Islands in the Philippines. He left the Philippines on June 14, 1945, and arrived in Seattle, Washington on July 4, 1945. On July 15, 1945, he was honorably discharged at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. On May 12, 1946, Anthony Dziuszko married Laura Szewick (1918-2003).
