Biography of Anthony "Tony" J. Sitar Sr.

CCCMan, Company 1615, Camp Dodge-Bloomers, SP-3, Pontiac, Michigan

Private, Medic, Med Det, 169th Infantry, New Guinea, Guadalcanal, Northern Solomons, WWII, USA

My father was Anthony "Tony" J. Sitar Sr was in the CCCs. He was in Camp Dodge-Bloomers in Pontiac, Michigan, project SP-3, Co. #1615. He had a photograph of the Company. It is dated Dec. 10, 1937. There is a group picture which has all the names of people. It also has pictures of the camp, the reading room, barracks, recreation room, mess hall, and classroom.

One other thing my dad always told us was how much he learned while he was in the CCC. He could work on and fix just about anything. He credited that to what he learned at Camp Dodge.

He also enlisted in the army. The information from his discharge papers state he was inducted on July 8, 1942. He was a private. Also, he was a medic. The battles and campaigns he served in were New Guinea, Guadalcanal and Northern Solomons. He was in the South Pacific from October 23, 1942 until January 3, 1945. He was honorably discharged on October 11, 1945. I didn't realize how much he probably saw until he was in his final days at Hines VA hospital and one of his doctors asked my dad where he served. After my dad died I found and read a diary he kept. His last entry was that his camp got hit.

There was also a letter about that event, from his superior officer commending him for his actions. The letter read as follows, Headquarters 169th Infantry APO43, c/o Postmaster San Francisco, California, 8 February 1944. Subject Commendation. To Pvt Anthony J. Siter, 36368177, Med Det, 169th Inf, APO 43. It has come to my attention that, as a result of an enemy bombing sustanied by organizations of this command on the night of 13-14 January 1944, you administered first aid to and evacuated the wounded during complete blackout and combat conditions while the air raid was still in progress. It is with considerable price, and as a tribute to an example of devotion to duty, that I commend you for this fine work. Signed W. J. Mullen, Col. Inf. Commanding. WJM/okm

My dad always said he was supposed to get a purple heart and we tried to apply for it before he passed but we couldn't get medical records. He said he didn't want the letter or medal sent home because it would worry his mom. He also said he didn't have the piece of shrapnel taken out until he got back home. He said he had a hole in his knee cap from the night of the air strike. He said he got hit with shrapnel but here is his last entry- "Jan. 13, 1944. Had a air raid and they let out 14 egg. 6 hit in our camp and 1 kill 22 injured. I just hear the bomb whistle and I got off my bed and it hit 70 yards from where I lay. I feel so hard that I got a piece of coral in my knee. It was 2AM. We had a full moon." His discharge papers state he received the Asiatic-Pacific ribbon and Good Conduct Ribbon.

----- Penny Sitar Vanderhyden

penvan AT sbcglobal.net

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Photographs of Anthony "Tony" J. Sitar Sr., Company 1615, Camp Dodge, SP-3, Pontiac, Michigan & 169th Infantry, USA

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