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Pfc Anthony T. Drabecki attended Washintgon High School and was employed by the Ball-Band plant, Mishawaka.

He enlisted on 13 May 1943 in Toledo, Ohio and was sent overseas in June 1944.

On 27 September 1944 Pfc Drabecki accompanied a seven man patrol through the Siegfried Line (In the vicinity of the Wurm river, south of Rimburg). The patrol had traveled 1.000 yards in front of the company's position when it encountered enemy pillboxes.

One man returned to the company to secure demolitions (S/Sgt Truman W. Manes). While he was gone, the patrol was pinned down by enemy machine gun fire. When this was discovered two remaining men, the one who had gone for the demolitions and the one who was guarding the river crossing (Pfc Drabecki), returned to the company for additional help in order to retain contact with the patrol. When they were running through the field they were fired on but S/Sgt Manes didn't stop or looked back. When he arrived at the river he looked back and did not see Pfc Drabecki. He did not see Pfc Drabecki get captured or wounded.

A search was made that night for the subject persons but no evidence of them was found.

The captured German records contained no information of them/him. Nothing has been seen or heard of the subject persons since.

In an effort to help the trapped men it is believed that also the company commander (Capt Earl C. Bowers Jr) was killed. A German report mentioned three men discovered, two death and one wounded, who later also died.

Pfc Drabecki was officially declared death one day and one year after he went missing in action.