Henry Francis Abramowicz was born on September 17, 1925 in Utica, NY to Boleslaus A. Abramowicz (1893-1948) and Agnes M. Krol (1904-1997). His parents were married in 1924. He was the oldest of their five children which included Cecelia Ann (1927-2023), Stanley (abt. 1929), Regina (1934-2008) and John J. (1939-2014). His dad was from Connecticut and his mom was from Poland. The family lived on Capital Avenue in Utica, NY. His dad was a pressman for the paper. Henry was a carrier for the local newspaper (The Observer-Dispatch) a member of the Holy Trinity Church and the Jan Robak Post Drum Corp.

Henry attended Utica Free Academy (UFA) and registered for the draft on September 17, 1943 (his 18th birthday) in Utica, NY. He was 5'-5" tall and weighed 130 pounds. He had brown eyes and blond hair. He was drafted into the U.S. Army on November 18, 1943 (a month and a day after he registered) through Utica, NY with service number 32947762. Newspapers of the day reported that he entered the service before graduating from UFA. He did his training at Camp Walters, Texas, Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky, and Fort Meade, Maryland before going overseas in November 1944.

The 75th Infantry Division arrived in England on November 22, 1944 and from there landed at Le Havre and Rouen, France in December 1944. When the enemy Ardennes offensive started the 75th was rushed there to strengthen the allied position. On January 17, the 75th attacked Vielsalm and other towns in the area. It is in this fighting Pfc. Henry F. Abramowicz is killed on January 22, 1945 near Vielsalm, Belgium and buried in the Henri Chapelle Eupen Cemetery, Plot HHH, Row 10, Grave 199 in Belgium.

In September 1948, during the governments body recovery and permanent internment program, Pfc. Abramowicz, at the request of his father, was permanently buried in the Henri Chapelle Cemetery, Block D, Row 5, Grave 40. His mom, Agnes was active in the American Gold Star Mothers in Utica for many years.

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).

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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

American Battle Monuments Commission; Arlington, VA; Cemetery Records

Alphabetical Master Cards, 1942–1947; Series VI, Card Files—Bureau of War Records, Master Index Cards, 1943–1947; National Jewish Welfare Board, Bureau of War Records, 1940–1969; I-52; boxes 273–362. New York, New York: American Jewish Historical Society, Center for Jewish History.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56278925/henry_francis-abramowicz: accessed August 3, 2025), memorial page for PFC Henry Francis Abramowicz (17 Sep 1925–22 Jan 1945), Find a Grave Memorial ID 56278925, citing Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial, Henri-Chapelle, Arrondissement de Verviers, Liège, Belgium; Maintained by Gathering Roots (contributor 47213048).

Individual Deceased Personnel File Abramowicz, Henry, 32947762, National Archives, St. Louis, MI.

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

US Army Divisions web site at https://www.armydivs.com/75th-infantry-division accessed on August 7, 2025.

"U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012"; School Name: Binghamton Central High School; Year: 1941

"Utica Soldier Killed in Action; 2 Other Service Men Missing", Utica Daily Press, Feb. 12, 1945, pg. 7

Year: 1940; Census Place: Utica, Oneida, New York; Roll: m-t0627-02862; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 67-83

Supporting Files