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PRIVATE FIRST CLASS MATTHEW T. ZISKA was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut on November 25, 1914 to John J. Ziska and his wife, the former Helen M. Ovečka . He was the oldest child. Two sisters were born not long afterwards, Mary in 1915 and Helen in 1917. The family was still living in Bridgeport when the census was taken in 1920. John J. Ziska had emigrated to America in 1912. He had been born in Drahovce, a village and municipality in the Pie�ťany District in the Trnava Region in the western part of what is now Slovakia. The Ziska family returned to Slovakia in the 1920s. Sons John and William were born in the Pie�ťany District of Slovakia in May of 1925 and February of 1927, respectively. John J. Ziska returned to America after the birth of William. He settled in Philadelphia and applied for American citizenship in April of 1928. He brought his family over to America on the S.S. George Washington in 1929, having traveled aboard that ship twice, in 1924 and in 1926. The 1920 Census shows the family living in an apartment at 332 Brown Street in Philadelphia. Matthew Ziska received his Social Security Card in Pennsylvania in 1933, and he was drafted into the Army from a Pennsylvania draft board. The 1940 Census shows him living with his wife Mary, his parents Helen and John, and younger brothers John and William at 425 Green Street in Philadelphia. The census indicates that Matthew Ziska had left school after the 4th grade and was working as an "operator". Matthew Ziska was inducted into the United States Army on May 6, 1943 at Philadelphia, Pennsyvlania. He listed his last address as 24 West 6th Street, in Runnemede, New Jersey. The Army lists him as one of Camden County's war dead, and the book 2nd Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division, a unit history published shortly after the end of World War II provides the address. Given the date of his induction to the Army, it is likely that he went overseas in the fall of 1943 as one of many replacements who were sent to Ireland to fill out the Table of Organization of the 2nd Infantry Regiment, which had been on garrison duty in Iceland from February of 1942 through August of 1943. A general account of Private First Class Ziska's time overseas can be garnered by reading from page 22 to page 50 of the book 2nd Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division. Private First Class Ziska was killed in action on November 10, 1944 during the action which resulted in the liberation of Silly-en-Saulnois, France. His unit. the 2nd Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division. His unit was engaged in the fighting to take the city of Metz, which was surrounded by fortified positions and itself was fortified. By 17 November, U.S. forces had managed to isolate most of the forts, and were attacking the city. German forces had been retreating since November 17, and U.S. forces pursued them for the following two days. U.S. forces entered Metz on November 18. Although the city itself was captured by U.S. forces and hostilities formally ceased on November 22, the remaining isolated forts continued to hold out. Direct assault was forbidden against the holdout forts in order to preserve artillery ammunition for the U.S Army's XX Corps' advance to the Sarre River and the isolated forts subsequently surrendered one by one following the surrender of Fort Verdun on November 26. By the end of November, several forts were still holding out. The last of the forts at Metz to surrender was Fort Jeanne d'Arc, on December 13 which capitulated to the U.S. III Corps. Although the battle resulted in defeat for the German forces, it served the intended purpose of the German command of halting the advance of the U.S. Third Army for three months, enabling retreating German forces to make an organized withdrawal to the Sarre river and to organize their defenses. Private First Class Zisks was survived by his wife Mary, who was living in Connecticut by 1945. He was also survived by his parents and siblings, who remained in the Philadelphia area. Awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, Matthew T. Ziska rests at the American Cemetery in Epinal France. |
