Chester County World War II Marine Remembered For Bravery

COATESVILLE, PA —Nearly 80 years ago the U.S. Liberty ship of World War II, SS Paul Hamilton, was destroyed in the Mediterranean Sea by a German torpedo bomber.

The 79th anniversary of the tragedy was Thursday, April 20, 2023.

Volunteers with the non-profit, Stories Behind the Stars, have written memorials honoring all 41 Pennsylvania natives who died in the disaster, including John James Pulinka, Jr. of Coatesville.

Pulinka died when he was 23 on April 20, 1944. He was the son of John and Mary Pulinka.

When Pulinka registered for the draft in February 1942, he was five feet, six inches tall and weighed 134 pounds.

According to a story provided to Patch by Stories Behind the Stars:

Pulinka joined U.S. Marines and was assigned to the crew of the SS Olney which sailed the trans-Atlantic route between Corpus Christi, Texas and Liverpool, England.

On the evening of April 20, 1944, the convoy was attacked by 23 German Junkers Ju and 88 torpedo bombers.

One aerial torpedo hit the Hamilton, igniting the high explosives in the ship. The ship, the crew, and the passengers, a total of 580 men, were lost in 30 seconds.

Forty-one of Pennsylvania native sons perished.

Pulinka was memorialized on his parents' tombstone in St. Cecelia’s Roman Catholic Cemetery in Coatesville.

The non-profit organization is dedicated to honoring all 421,000 fallen Americans from World War II, including 31,000 from Pennsylvania. More information is available here.