Hello All,

My name is Mike Hinkle and I new to this site but in my early stages of being here I have found information about family members that has been so wonderful. However even though I have some good stuff I am looking for more. I have just started tracing my family genealogy and I am wanting to get a better picture of the members who served our country and made the freedoms that I enjoy possible.

Kenneth D. Hinkle (my grandfather) was part of the 159th Combat Engineers. He was wounded in action. He took part in the Battle of the Buldge. He passed away in 1990.

Paul D. Hinkle (great-uncle) 141st Regiment, 36 inf. He does have a site on this website and I am trying to find more information about him and also possibly his unit. This is Kenneth's brother.

Joseph A. Yurkonis (great uncle- Kenneth and Paul's sister's husband) I have virtually no information on him and military service.

To find information on 2 uncles and my Grandfather on this site makes me believe that I can find even more information of at least a right direction to look. I was very young to remember or understand stories from my grandfather and never knew my 2 great uncles. But seeing things posted on here makes me get to know them just that much better and know the great sacarifices they made. Sorry about the length of this post...

Hi Mike, on a quick search, not too much pops up on Joseph. The WWII Memorial website data just says he was in the Army & served in Europe. No results for an enlistment record at Nara website or on Ancestry.com. the only thing on him that comes up on Ancestry is a prisoner of war record, not much info to positively identify him as your Joseph but it could be.

World War II Prisoners of War, 1941-1946

Name: Joseph A Yurkonis

Race: White

Report Date: 15 Jun 1945

Latest Report Date: 13 Feb 1946

Grade: Private

Grade Notes: Cadet, USMA or Chief Warrant Officer or Private or Apprentice, Seaman

Service Branch: Army

Area Served: European Theatre

Detaining Country: Germany

Status: Returned to Military Control, Liberated or Repatriated

Report Source: Individual has been reported through sources considered official.

Found his enlistment record:

ARMY SERIAL NUMBER 33949287

NAME YURKONIS#JOSEPH#A

RESIDENCE: STATE 32 PENNSYLVANIA

RESIDENCE: COUNTY 107 SCHUYLKILL

PLACE OF ENLISTMENT 3288 NEW CUMBERLAND PENNSYLVANIA

DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY 16

DATE OF ENLISTMENT MONTH 06

DATE OF ENLISTMENT YEAR 44

GRADE: ALPHA DESIGNATION PVT# Private

GRADE: CODE 8 Private

BRANCH: ALPHA DESIGNATION NO# No branch assignment

BRANCH: CODE 02 No branch assignment

FIELD USE AS DESIRED # #

TERM OF ENLISTMENT 5 Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law

LONGEVITY ### ###

SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL 0 Civil Life

NATIVITY 32 PENNSYLVANIA

YEAR OF BIRTH 26

RACE AND CITIZENSHIP 1 White, citizen

EDUCATION 3 3 years of high school

CIVILIAN OCCUPATION 992 Undefined Code

MARITAL STATUS 6 Single, without dependents

COMPONENT OF THE ARMY 7 Selectees (Enlisted Men)

CARD NUMBER # #

BOX NUMBER 0730 0730

FILM REEL NUMBER 1.247 1.247

Larry thanks for the info and the time you have taken. I do have enlistment records for the Hinkles, just in case you were to look for them. I will see my father tomorrow and see if he knows if Joseph was a POW.

I spoke to my dad today and he said that he is pretty sure that Jospeh was not a POW. He can not recall that ever being discussed and also he thinks that would have been mentioned in the Obit for him.

As for my grandfather he was wounded during the Battle of the Bulge at/near Hill 313