Kenneth Bachewicz

Wife Myrtice. Daughter Carol, Sons, Kenneth Jr. and Mark

Raymond Bachewicz Jr. of Elgin, Illinois United States. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Raymond Bachewicz Jr..

Let me tell you about a first generation Polish American hero who spent most of his life in Chicago, Illinois. After Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor he, like many Americans, enlisted in the military. He never spoke about World War II but through research I found interesting facts. After training as an Army infantryman, he was assigned to the newly formed Americal Division and his unit was sent to the island of New Caledonia to prevent Japan from further attacks and to train for island combat. The Americal was the first Army unit to see combat against the Axis on bloody Guadalcanal where they fought alongside with the Marines. The Americal then went on to fight on another horror filled island, Bougainville. Next they went on to retake the Philippine Islands. After Japan had surrendered, he served in the occupation force on their mainland and then returned home to the USA. According to a newspaper clipping from 1945, less than twenty original members of the Americal Division returned home from then Pacific theater. My Grandfather used to call this man “Murphy.” I always thought he was being teased about being in the bathroom, as murphy was what the toilet was called. I now realize my Grandfather was honoring him with that nickname, as “Audie Murphy” the war hero. I had the pleasure of knowing “Murphy” for fourteen years before he passed away in 1967. His real name is Raymond John Bachewicz Sr. I knew him as Dad.