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Personal info

Full name
GORINAC, Edward
Date of birth
22 August 1912
Age
32
Place of birth
Ohio
Hometown
Port Huron, St. Clair County, Michigan

Military service

Service number
36968132
Rank
Private
Function
unknown
Unit
110th Infantry Regiment,
28th Infantry Division
Awards
Bronze Star

Death

Status
Died non-Battle
Date of death
22 March 1945
Place of death
Barracks 6 - Berga Prison Camp
Schliben, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
C 17 11

Immediate family

Members
Jacob Gorinac (father)
Anna (Slechta) Gorinac (mother)
Joseph Gorinac (brother)
Francis Gorinac (brother)
George Gorinac (brother)
Alfred W. Gorinac (brother)
Helen Gorinac (sister)
Stanley Gorinac (brother)
Irene Gorinac (sister)
Pauline Gorinac (sister)
Elizabeth G. Gorinac (sister)
Emily (Leffler) Gorinac (wife)

More information

Pvt Edward Gorinac was employed by the Electric Auto Lite Company.

He was taken prisoner on 20 December 1944 and was first sent to Stalag IX-B in Bad Orb, Germany. By 22 March 1945, just over a month after arrival at Berga Prison Camp, he was dead.

Until 19 March 1945 Pvt Gorinac kept a diary that was recovered by a fellow American prisoner and later sent to his family:
- Feb. 16: "We were called at 4:30 a.m. Started to work digging out a tunnel. We had to shovel stone. The dust is bad."
- Feb. 21: "This place is worse than Bad Orb. They treat us as slaves. We are even on slave rations like Jews and political prisoners. And to think how we treat their prisoners."

As he grew weaker Gorinac remained observant. On 1 March, he spoke of ''daily beatings''. By 13 March 1945 Gorinac scarcely had the strength to write.
- March 13: "Fred from Lansing died today. I was moved to Barracks No. 2. The infection is getting worse."
- March 16: "I have an awful sore throat. Tried to stay from work but was driven out."
- March 19: "Still in Barracks 6. Throat is sore as hell. Another man was brought in this morning. He died an hour later. Making it four."

Source of information: André Koch, Raf Dyckmans, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov – World War II Prisoners of War Data File (12/7/1941 - 11/19/1946), www.ancestry.com - 1930 Census / Dallas and Cole Tree / Headstone and Interment Record / Michigan Marriage Records

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, www.newspapers.com - The Times Herald, Charles A Hammond Post 8 American Legion - courtesy of Ed Weichsler