Basil Kaczmarczyk enlisted in the army on March 26, 1942. His enlistment was for "the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law" like most soldiers.
Kaczmarzyk served in the 115th Infantry 29th Division. The 29th Division joined with the 1st Division to assault Omaha Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944. The battle resulted in 10,000 Allied casualties, with 4414 confirmed dead, Kaczmarczyk being one of these soldiers. On the left is an image of the Battle of Normandy or D-Day.
He died on June 16, 1944 from a gunshot wound to the head during the Battle of Normandy. He was buried at Normandy American Cemetery. At the time of the battle, Kaczmarczyk was a 2nd Lieutenant, meaning he was placed in command of all-purpose ground combat units and was in charge of leading infantry soldiers into battle.
The image on the right is a list Kaczmarzyk made to verify he still had all of his belongings issued by the army.
This included
- Trousers
- Shirts
- Sweater
- Drawers
- Hat
- Slippers
- Caps
These were some basic materials given to all soldiers.
Other belongings that were found upon his death include
- Prayer Book
- Sewing Kit
- Sleeping Bag
- Knife
- Pencil
- Whistle
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