Seaman Second Class JOHN WALTER ZYLKS, KIA

Seaman Second Class JOHN WALTER ZYLKS, KIA U. S. Navy. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Gensel Zylks of Zylks, of Louisiana, Caddo Parish. He is also the brother of Seaman 2nd Class, SAMUEL GENSEL ZYLKS, JR. He was born April 25, 1923, and attended schools in Louisiana and Texas. He farmed and worked in a Texas defense plant prior to induction December 15, 1942, in Shreveport Louisiana, at the age of 19. With the United States Naval Reserve, he was assigned to the Naval Training School at San Diego, California, for twelve weeks of boot training and spent eight weeks in intensive training at Landing Craft School. On May 21, 1943, he left for service in the South Pacific, aboard the Transport U. S. S. John Penn moving troops and ammunition from the South Pacific Islands to other groups in the Pacific (PTO). He drove a landing barge, was coxswain of a landing barge, and landed tanks for beachhead operations. He fought in one major campaign before his ship was sunk. Attacked by an estimated 100 Japanese planes his ship was assaulted by a Japanese torpedo plane on the night of August 13, 1943, and was sunk in attempting to fight off the enemy. He was reported missing in action, and remained listed in this manner until August, 1944, one year later. At that time the Navy Department declared him dead and gave the date of his death as August 14, 1944. He died at the age of 20. His family received the Purple Heart Medal (PHM) awarded him posthumously on September 15, 1944.

 

Source:

1- THE FIGHTING MEN OF LOUISIANA – LOUISIANA HISTORICAL INSTITUTE – 1946