Chester John “Chet” Sawicki was born on July 20, 1911, in New Jersey. He was the son of Anastasia "Anna" Sawicki-Fetkowitz. He was married to Ina Barnes. He graduated from East Side High School. Before entering military service, he worked for six years at the Ming Toy Silk Dyeing Company in Paterson. He entered the Army on March 3, 1943, and was assigned to the 28th Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division. His training took place at Camp Laguna, Arizona, and Camp Forest, Tennessee, before he sailed to Belfast for additional preparation. During this period, the regiment was honored with a review by Supreme Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The 28th Infantry sailed from Belfast on July 1, 1944, landed on Utah Beach on July 4, and entered combat later that month while establishing a bridgehead across the Ay River. This action enabled armored units to break out and advance into Brittany and northern France, triggering the large-scale retreat of the German Seventh Army. PFC Sawicki was killed on August 27, 1944, suffering fatal head injuries during the Normandy breakout in the battle for Brest, France’s most heavily fortified port and a critical objective for Allied forces. He is now buried in the Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial, Saint-James, Département de la Manche, Basse-Normandie, France.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, weremember.abmc.gov