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Personal info

Full name
ZINIEL, Joseph Mathews
Date of birth
16 February 1923
Age
22
Place of birth
Vienna, Austria
Hometown
Cook County, Illinois

Military service

Service number
36720035
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
unknown
Unit
290th Infantry Regiment,
75th Infantry Division
Awards
Bronze Star,
Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
29 March 1945
Place of death
In the vicinity of Dorsten, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
L 5 12

Immediate family

Members
Math Ziniel (father)
Theresa (Sehner) Ziniel (mother)
James M. Ziniel (brother)
Francis Ziniel (brother)

More information

S/Sgt Joseph M. Ziniel was born in Vienna, Austria and came to the United States with his parents when he was about six years old.

He attended Chillicothe Business College where he was a member of the Nebraska-Dakota basketball team which won their state club championship in 1941.

He entered the service in Illinois and while at Camp Atterbury, S/Sgt Ziniel was part of the 101st Infantry Battalion which was given the nickname of the Austrian Battalion because many of its members were from Austria including 3 archdukes, sons of Charles I of Austria.

Source of information: Jac Engels, Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, Astrid van Erp, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.findagrave.com Book: 75th infantry Division: Ardennes, Central Europe, Rhineland, 75thdivisiondad.com, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / 1930/ 1940 Census , www.newspapers.com - The Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune

Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Des Philippet, Chillicothe Business College yearbook, 1941