John BRADOVICH was born on October the first 1924 and was a lifelong Chisholm resident.
After graduation from Chisholm High School in 1942, John join the US Army. When the United States entered World War II in December 1941, Fort Snelling, Saint Paul, Minnesota, became the induction point for more than 300,000 men and women who joined the armed forces. At its height in 1942, the Reception Center was capable of processing approximately 800 recruits each day. John BRADOVICH was sent to the Fort, and after Military basic training, he volunteered for the legendary 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team, he trained at Camp Toccoa, georgia, Fort Benning for parachute training and graduation, Camp Mackall, North Carolina and 1943 Tennessee Manoeuvers.
In may the 16 he was sent oversea with his unit.
The 517th parachute regiment helped break the route at Anzio and fought from Rome to Civitavecchia. On th
he early days of August 1944, the unit was then trained for Operation Dragoon. the invasion of Southern France, where they jumped behind enemy lines 20 miles inland at 3 a.m. on august 15th 1944.
John was part of wave number 7, he took off from a Airforce base near Rome named Orbetello at about 01.50 am.
Unfortunatly, wave number seven was scatered at about 20 miles North Est of the desinated drop zone. It took 2 days to that group to walk down across enemy lines to regimental Head Quarter at Chateau Sainte Roseline near town Les Arcs.
During one of our telephone interview 2009 John recall :
"... There was anti aircraft fire when we jumped. i landed with Lt. Alicki's group but was dropped 18 miles or so from our target in France. My mission, as a demolition man, was to blow up a bridge near La Motte, but i was unable to complete that mission as i was far from my pre-designated drop zone behind German lines...
I had no trouble finding my demolition platoon after the jump. We were not sure where we were. I was wounded on the 17th of August near Les Arcs, got two wounds, shrapnel in my hand (it still hurts me today again), and a leg wound.
The platoon left me behind as i could not keep pace with them. I hid overnight and was rescued the next day by a allied armor unit that picked me up to the landing beaches..."
John BRADOVICH est né le premier octobre 1924 et a vécu toute sa vie à Chisholm.
Après avoir obtenu son diplôme du lycée de Chisholm en 1942, John est mobilisé à Fort Knelling, Minnesota. puis il se porte volontaire pour les parachutistes, et rejoindra la légendaire 517e équipe de combat régimentaire de parachutistes, il a formé le camp Toccoa, en Géorgie, Fort Benning pour l'entraînement au parachutisme et les grandes manœuvres du Tennessee
Le 16 mai, il est envoyé outre-mer.
Le 517th a aidé à briser la déroute à Anzio et a combattu de Rome à Civitavecchia. L'unité a ensuite été entraînée pour l'opération Dragoon. l'invasion du sud de la France, où ils ont sauté derrière les lignes ennemies à 3 heures du matin le 15 août 1944.
John se souvient lors d'une de nos interviews en 2009.
"... Il y a eu des tirs antiaériens quand nous avons sauté. J'ai atterri avec le groupe du lieutenant 'Alicki mais a été largué à environ 18 milles (20km) de notre cible en France. Ma mission, en tant que démolisseur, était de faire sauter un pont près de La Motte, mais je n'ai pas pu terminer cette mission car j'étais loin derrière les lignes allemandes de ma zone de largage pré-désignée ...
Je n'ai eu aucun mal à trouver mon peloton de démolition après le saut.
Nous ne savions pas où nous étions. J'ai été blessé le 17 août près des Arcs, j'ai eu deux blessures, un éclat à la main (ça me fait encore mal) et une blessure à la jambe.
Le peloton m'a laissé derrière car je ne pouvais pas suivre leur rythme. Je me suis caché pendant la nuit et j'ai été secouru le lendemain par une unité blindée alliée qui m'a emmené sur les plages du débarquement...
John comment on 1943 thunderbolt. Training at camp Toccoa, and parachute graduation at Fort Benning..
Août 1943, John BRADOVICH commente l'un des premiers numéro de la revue du 517em régiment aprés son entrainement à camp Toccoa. et fort Benning Georgia.
From the coast, he was evacuated to Italy and John rejoined his unit in Belgium for the Battle of the Bulge and later crossed the Rhine into Germany.
After the war, John went to work for the Oliver Mining Company/ U.S. Steel.
In 1947. John married the love of his life Rose Tobak and they were blessed with four children. John was elected president of Steelworkers.
In 1959, he met then-candidate John F.Kennedy and convinced JFK to campaign in Hibbing. Active in DFL politics, John helped organize a packed rally for the presidential hopeful. In the early 1960s, when iron ore production decreased, he was instrumental in passing the Taconite Amendment.
When John was in his early 40s, he juggled college studies with his mining job. In 1966, he received his A.A.degree from Hibbing Junior College, where he was awarded top scholar and top honor student. He completed his degree at University of Minnesota-Duluth (UMD)
De la côte, il a été évacué le 18 août 1944 vers l'Italie mais John rejoindra son unité en Belgique pour la terrible bataille des Ardennes et a ensuite traversé le Rhin pour la bataille d' Allemagne.
Après la guerre, John est allé travailler pour Oliver Mining Company/U.S. Steel. En 1947. John a épousé l'amour de sa vie Rose Tobak et ils ont eu quatre enfants.
John a été élu président de la section locale des mineurs. En 1959, il rencontre alors le candidat John F. Kennedy et convainc JFK de faire campagne à Hibbing. Actif dans la politique, John aide à organiser un rassemblement bondé pour l'espoir présidentiel. Au début des années 1960, lorsque la production de minerai de fer diminua, il a joué un rôle déterminant dans l'adoption de l'amendement Taconite.
John BRADOVICH a obtenu son diplôme à l'Université du Minnesota- Duluth (UMD) et a commencé à travailler comme orthophoniste.
John nous as quitté le 2 février 2008 à l'age de 93 ans.
John's interests ranged from poetry and art to geology and physics. He was unfailingly gracious, kind, patient and nonjudgmental. He loved animals and fed wildlife in his backyard. He set a sterling example for his four children, who regarded him as their hero. The most important facet of John's life was his wife and family.
A devoted friend to many, he regularly visited people in area hospitals and nursing homes.
John Bradovich passed away peacefully on Friday. Feb.2.2018 aged 93.
