Roman Drapinski
Staff Sergeant Roman Drapinski, Serial: 32186839, 53rd Armored Engineer Battalion, 12th Armored Division, U.S. Army. He lived at 1468 South 10th Street, Camden NJ.
Staff Sergeant Roman Drapinski lived at 1468 South 10th Street, in the mostly Polish neighborhood anchored by St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. He was born in the United States in 1918 to Stanislaw and Victoria Drapinski, but had gone back to Poland at an early age, and had received all of his education there, before returning to America in 1938, at age 19, to stay with his brother Adam and work in Adam’s wholesale meat business. His parents and one brother remained in Poland.
Roman Drapinski attempted to enlist in the Army in 1940, but was turned down, as he was not fluent in English at that time. He was inducted in September of 1941, and rapidly advanced through the ranks — from corporal to technical sergeant to staff sergeant. Roman Drapinski served at Fort Dix NJ, Fort Knox KY, and Camp Campbell KY, and was assigned to the 53rd Armored Engineer Battalion, 12th Armored Division.
In early July of 1943, he wrote his family that he had received two medals and that “the next time he came home he would be all decorated up like a Polish general.”
Staff Sergeant Roman Drapinski was killed on July 18, 1943. While demonstrating the use of dynamite to a group of soldiers, a premature explosion occurred, fatally wounding him. He was injured Saturday and died Sunday night in the station hospital at Camp Campbell. General Carlos Brewer, the division commanding officer, sent a letter to the family praising the sergeant for his efficiency.
There are conflicting accounts as to what became of his family in Poland. According to the Camden Courier-Post, his father had died in Poland, his mother Victoria was unaccounted for somewhere in Europe, and his brother Stanislaw was a prisoner of the Nazis, captured while fighting with the Polish Army during the Axis invasion. A 1949 booklet from St. Joseph Church of Camden stated that he was survived by his parents, Stanley and Victoria Drapinski, a sister, Helen, and two brothers, Adam and William.
Blast Injuries Kill Soldier From Camden
Camden Courier-Post —
Staff Sgt. Drapinski Is Victim of Premature Explosion
Premature explosion of dynamite while he was giving instructions in handling caused the death of Staff Sgt. Roman Drapinski, 23, of 1468 South Tenth street, at Camp Campbell, Kan., according to word received last night.
Sergeant Drapinski was injured Saturday and died Sunday night in the station hospital. A brother, Adam, with whom he lived before entering the service, and a sister, Mrs. Helen W. Moskalski, of Walnut avenue, West Collingswood, flew by airplane to the camp Saturday after learning of the accident.
Sergeant Drapinski’s brother, Stanislaw, is a prisoner of the Nazis. He was captured while fighting with the Polish Army during the Axis invasion. His mother, Victoria, was in Poland the last the family here heard from her. Stanislaw, Sr., father of the sergeant, died in Poland two years ago.
Sergeant Drapinski came to this country five years ago from Poland and worked for his brother, Adam, in the wholesale meat business. He tried to enlist in the Army three years ago but because he could not speak English fluently he was turned down.
He was inducted in September, 1941, advanced to corporal, then to technical sergeant and next staff sergeant. Two weeks ago in a letter to his brother he said he had received two medals and the “next time he came home he would be all decorated up like a Polish general.”
Sergeant Drapinski was in the Twelfth Armored Division. Gen. Carlos Brewer, commanding officer, sent a letter to the family praising the sergeant for his efficiency.
St. Joseph's Church Keeps in Touch with Men and Women in Armed Forces
Camden Courier-Post — 1944
Four Sons Killed and Two Missing
By Frank Sheridan
With many of their loved ones and relatives either killed, starved or reduced to slavery by the Nazi invaders of Poland four years ago, 1154 mothers of this city have given sons and daughters to fight for defense of the United States.
They are members of St. Joseph’s church, Tenth and Mechanic streets. Four sons were killed in line of duty, two others are missing and another is reported a prisoner of the Japs.
The mother of Staff Sgt. Roman Drapinski, 1468 South Tenth street, killed by a dynamite blast, is somewhere in Poland, but her name is honored equally with other mothers by the parish.
Drapinski entered the service in September, 1941, and was attached to the Twelfth Armored Division. He came to this country from Poland five years ago and worked with his brother, Adam. Another brother, Stanislau, is a prisoner of the Germans. He was captured during the invasion of Poland. His father died in Poland two years ago and the whereabouts of his mother in Poland is not known.
[Article continues with accounts of other St. Joseph’s parishioners in the armed forces.]
Enlisted in Air Corps
The sergeant was a graduate of Camden High school and starred in both basketball and football. He was employed 12 years by Public Service and enlisted in the Army Air Corps on April 7, 1942.
Private Koscianski died in action in the African campaign. Several letters sent him by the service bureau were returned unclaimed. The War Department notified his mother he was killed in Algeria on Feb. 6, last. His body was buried between two sergeants and white crosses were erected over their graves.
He worked for the Camden City Parks Department as a truck driver for five years before he was inducted June 4, 1942. He was in the Signal Corps and was driving a truck when killed. He was sent overseas two months after his induction.
Sergeant Drapinski, brother of Adam Drapinski, died July 18, last, from injuries received in the premature explosion of dynamite at Camp Campbell, Kan. Drapinski, who was 23, was giving instructions to a group of recruits when the explosion occurred.
He received his wings on Nov. 21, 1942. He was home for two days last May before going overseas. He attended Camden schools and also studied in Poland from 1932 to 1936. His brother, Richard, is a corporal in the Army Air Corps.
Lieutenant Ulak was taken prisoner at Corregidor by the Japs. He was a reserve Army officer when the war broke out and was called into active service. Ulak was born in Camden and attended St. Joseph’s school, Camden High school and was graduated from Lehigh University. He has three brothers and two sisters, besides his parents. A brother, Alfonse, is an Army sergeant in California. Other brothers are Adolph and Rudolph. The sisters are Mrs. Wanda Romanowski and Adella.
Grave of Staff Sergeant Roman Drapinski
Grave of Staff Sergeant Roman Drapinski, 12th Armored Division, U.S. Army, 1918–1943.