Memorial

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Pfc Rudoph P. Krizan immigrated to America in 1930 with his mother and siblings aboard the ship, President Roosevelt. He was well known in Racine boxing circles and won a city championship in 1941. He was also active in archery. Before entering the service in June 1942, he was employed by the Gold Medal Folding Furniture company and at one time was a Journal-Times carrier. When he entered the army he was attached to a cavalry unit and later transferred to the infantry. He attended St. John Nepomuk and Vocational School.

To the foot soldier of WWII, nothing was more reassuring than the feel of an M-1 rifle in his hands. It promised power and accuracy at the squeeze of a trigger. It also promised to be a heavy burden on a long march. The M-1 rifle weighed almost ten pounds--about twice the weight of an M-1 carbine. In the infantry, enlisted men carried the rifles and officers carried the carbines.
Behind Shine, Private Krizan eyed the M-1 carbine dropped by the lieutenant. Like most riflemen, his arms ached from carrying the heavy rifle; here was something more attractive. He picked up the carbine and resumed his advance. That was the last mistake he ever made. There was a sharp "crack" from the high ground on their right, and Krizan went down and rolled over on his back. Shine looked back at Krizan; he lay there with a neat little bullet hole right between his glazed eyes. Beneath his head, a crimson stain began to spread in the white snow. The sniper, seeing a carbine in Krizan's grip had mistaken him for an officer, and killed him.