Chester John Bazan was born March 14, 1920 in Utica, NY to Joseph Bazan (1894-1967) and Marya Tumidajewicz (1987-1981). His parents were married on May 17, 1915 in Utica, NY. His dad and mom were from Poland and they came to the United States in 1913 and 1911 respectively. His dad worked in a local foundry. He had two older brothers, Stanley (who served in Italy during WWII) and John (who served in England during WWII) and two younger brothers Edward (who was in civilian services for the Navy during WWII) and Mathew (1926-1943). The family lived on Wheeler Ave. in Utica, NY. He attended the Holy Trinity Church and School and left school after 8th grade. By 1940 he and his older brother John were working in a local bakery.

Chester registered for the draft on July 1, 1941 in Utica, NY. He was 5'-4" tall and weighed 150 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair. He was working as a laborer in the Curing Dept. at C.A. Durr Co. on Schuyler St. in Utica at the time. They were a meat packing company. He was drafted into the service on June 20, 1942. His service number was 32372431. He did his training at Fort Meade, Maryland and Camp Livingston, Louisiana. He got a 12 day furlough in October 1943 while at Camp Livingston.

The 152nd left New Orleans Port of Embarkation and arrived in Hawaii where it stayed until July 1944 when it was shipped to Oro Bay, New Guinea. From August 1944 until November 1944 they underwent four months of rigorous jungle training after which they prepared for deployment to the Philippines. The landed on Leyte Island, Philippines on December 6, 1944 and entered combat. After almost a month of fighting on Leyte the regiment landed on Luzon in late January 1945.

The 152nd Infantry Regiment was heavily involved in the liberation of the Philippines starting in January 1945. The 38th Division landed in Southern Zambales Province on January 29, 1945. The 152nd Infantry Regiment was tasked with pushing eastward along an unimproved road (Route 7) toward Dinalupihan to link up with other American forces. Known as the fighting in Zig-Zag pass, the fighting on February 1 resulted in high casualties for the regiment and it temporarily halted their eastward progress. Pfc. Bazan was killed in action by a gun shot wound on February 1, 1945. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Combat Infantryman Badge posthumously. He had previously been awarded the Expert Infantryman Badge.

Pfc. Bazan had $50 to his name when he was killed and that was sent to his father in September 1945. He was initially buried in the Olongapo #1 Cemetery Grave #21 in Zambalas, Luzon, Philippines and later his remains were moved to the United States Armed Forces Cemetery Manila #2 on the Philippine Islands Plot 1, Row 5, Grave 643. In October 1948 his body was escorted home aboard the USAT Sgt. Morris E. Crane and buried in the Holy Trinity Cemetery and Mausoleum in Yorkville, NY, section 16.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project. This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen on Together We Served and Fold3.

(Please see - http://www.storiesbehindthestars.org).

Can you help us write these stories? Together We Served and Fold3/Find A Grave have smartphone apps that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery and read these stories of WWII fallen.

If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute, please contact Jim Greenberg at jim.greenberg@oneonta.edu.

SBTSProject/New York/Oneida

Sources

Ancestry.com. New York, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1847-1849, 1907-1936 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/167089290/chester_j-bazan: accessed November 22, 2025), memorial page for PFC Chester J Bazan (14 Mar 1920–1 Feb 1945), Find a Grave Memorial ID 167089290, citing Holy Trinity Cemetery and Mausoleum, Yorkville, Oneida County, New York, USA; Maintained by Jeff Hall (contributor 47296194).

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For New York State, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147

New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1925; Election District: 04; Assembly District: 01; City: Utica Ward 11; County: Oneida; Page: 28

Smith, Robert Ross, U.S. Army in World War II, The War in the Pacific, Triumph in the Philippines. Chapter XVII, Back to Bataan accessed at https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-P-Triumph/USA-P-Triumph-17.html on November 22, 2025. See page 317 for details on the February 1 fighting.

"Utican Killed in Action; 5 Other Men Wounded", Utica Daily Press, Utica, NY, March 14, 1945

"Where was the 152nd on Feb. 1, 1945." Google Search, 22 Nov. 2025, Google.

Year: 1930; Census Place: Utica, Oneida, New York; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 0122; FHL microfilm: 2341356

Year: 1940; Census Place: Utica, Oneida, New York; Roll: m-t0627-02861; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 67-57

Supporting Documents