Melnick, John B .

Item

Melnick, John-Draft Card.png
Melnick, John-Headstone Application.png

Title

Melnick, John B .

Creator

Michelle Kukan

Birth Date

1913-07-09

Birthplace

Manhattan, NY

Death Date

1947-11-21

Burial Place

Maryrest Cemetery, Mahwah, NJ

Conflict

World War II

Military Branch

Army

Rank

Private First Class (PFC)

Serial Number

32561791

Service Start Date

1942-10-06

Service End Date

1946-01-10

Honors

World War II Victory Medal
Good Conduct Medal

Military Service Description

John Melnick was drafted and enlisted into the United States Army on 1942-10-06. He served with the 621st Quartermaster Depot Company. The Quartermaster Corps provided American troops with food, clothing and supplies. With this quartermaster depot company, he served in the European, African, and Middle Eastern Theatres. One of the conflicts the 621st Quartermaster Depot Company were present at was the Battle of the Bugle. He was honorably discharged as a Private First Class on 1946-01-10. 

Biographical Text

John Bohdah Melnick was born in Manhattan, NY on 1913-07-09 to William and Catherine Melnick. He had three siblings: Myron, Travis, and Irene. Melnick completed four years of highschool. He enlisted into the Army in 1942 and was discharged in 1946. After the war, Melnick continued to live in Mahwah. Melnick was a member of the Ramapo Motorcycle Club and Mahwah’s VFW. In November of 1947, a deer hit Melnick’s motorcycle while he was on his way home from work in Oakland, NJ. Melnick died from his injuries in Good Samaritan Hospital on 1947-11-21. He is buried in the soldiers’ circle in Maryrest Cemetery in Mahwah, NJ. He was 34.

Family Members

Father: William

Mother: Catherine

Siblings:
Myron
Irene
Travis

Bibliography

"Catherine Melnick," The Record, September 5, 1975, p. 55. 

"Cyclist Killed But Deer Rises And Walks Off," The Record, November 24, 1947, p. 1.

John B. Melnick, Find a Grave.

John B Melnick, New York, U.S., Death Index, 1852-1956.

“John B Melnick, U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1970.

John B Melnick, U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946.

John Bohdah Melnick, U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947.

John Melnick, New York, New York, U.S., Birth Index, 1910-1965.

"Motorcycle Rider Is Killed As Deer Jumps Across Road," Ramapo Valley Independent, November 26, 1947, p. 1,10. 

"Motorcyclist Dies Four Hours After Deer Wrecks His Machine," The Herald-News, November 22, 1947, p.1. 

"Oakland News," The News, October 22, 1942, p. 3.

"Wm. Drobresh Jr. Installed Head Of Mahwah VFW," Ramapo Valley Independent, May 1, 1947, p. 2. 
WWII Army Units Battle Participation, Golden Arrow Research.

Photo Captions

Photo 1: Melnick's draft card, completed on 1940-10-16 in Mahwah, NJ (Ancestry Library).

Photo 2: Headstone application for Melnick completed by William Drobresh Jr. on 1948-02-02 (Ancestry Library).

Collection

Veterans

Citation

Michelle Kukan, “Melnick, John B .,” Mahwah Veterans Project, accessed July 2, 2024, https://mahwahmuseum.reclaim.hosting/MVP/items/show/248.