Louis Stephen Super was born September 15, 1919 in Oneonta, NY to Joseph Suprynowicz (1879-1945) and Katherine Sarkano (1881-1956). Both his parents were from Poland.  He was the youngest of their eight children. He had four brothers, Joe, Albert, Eddie and Francis and three sisters, Blanche, Alice and Johanna.  His father was a blacksmith for the D&H Railroad. The family lived on Fonda Ave. in Oneonta. He graduated in 1933 from St. Marys school and in 1937 from Oneonta High School where he was prominent in athletics, especially basketball. He joined the New York National Guard in 1938 and was employed at Spaulding's bakery before entering federal service with Company G when it was federalized in October 1940. He was released from the Guard for a year and worked in the D&H Railroad car shop until he was called back to the Army in January, 1942. 

For its service in World War II, the 106th Regiment had 12 companies, all initially recruited from the communities of upstate New York. The entire first battalion companies A, B, C, and D was recruited from Albany. Companies E and H were recruited from Binghamton. Companies F, G, I, and K were recruited from Walton, Oneonta, Mohawk, and Oneida respectively and companies L and M were formed in Utica. Additional Regimental troops were drawn from Catskill, Hudson, and Rome.

The 106th Regiment was inducted into federal service on October 15, 1940 and moved to Fort McCllelan, Alabama on the 23rd, a week later. The Regiment departed for Hawaii on March 10, 1942 and arrived there on March 15, 1942. The Regiment was designated as a floating reserve for the projected Marshall Islands operations and on December 14, 1943 it was attached to the V Amphibious Corp. for training. The Regiment’s 2nd battalion occupied Majuro Atoll on February 1, 1944, expecting to encounter strong resistance, but instead finding that the Japanese had withdrawn their troops, months earlier. The battalion remained there until March 5, 1944 when it was sent back to Hawaii.

The remainder of the Regiment was sent to assault Eniwetok Island, which was the eastern most of the Japanese bases in the Marshall Islands, and within bomber range of the Japanese stronghold at Truk. The assault commenced on February 19th 1944 as the 1st battalion of the 106th, preceded by amphibious tractors, splashed ashore with little opposition. The possession of the little island was hotly contested and the 3rd battalion of the 106th in addition to the 22nd Marine Regiment was sent in to reinforce the 1st battalion. Fighting went on until the 21st of February when the Japanese garrison succumbed and the 106th returned to Hawaii on April 13, 1944 for rest and preparation for the Saipan offensive. The men were now battled tested.

The Regiment landed on Saipan on June 20, 1944, several days after the rest of the Division. The 106th was heavily involved in the fighting for Saipan’s dominant terrain feature; a 1,554-foot mountain called Mount Tapotchau. The 106th initially fought along a ridgeline near the mountain’s base and in an open valley at the base of the ridgeline, two terrain features that were grimly dubbed Purple Heart Ridge and Death Valley. Later in the fight, following the reduction of most of the Japanese defenses and the failure of their Banzai charge, the 106th was instrumental in repelling the second and final Japanese counterattack. The battle for Saipan amounted to 786 officers and 13,438 enlisted men killed, wounded or missing in action.

Louis is killed on June 28, 1944 on Saipan Island in the Marianas and is buried in the 2nd Marine Division Cemetery, Grave 20, Row 1, Plost D. He was engaged to be married at the time of his death to Miss Billie Graig of nearby Davenport, NY. Later, on April 22, 1950, his body was returned home and as wished by his family, buried in Mount Calvary Cemetery in Oneonta, NY. His was the last of the Oneonta, NY fallen to be returned home and he was laid to rest with full military honors.  An editoral that appeared in the local papers just after SSgt. Super was laid to rest is pictured below. 

If you notice anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact Jim Greenberg at nez13820@gmail.com. 

Sources

City of Oneonta, Oneonta Historical Society. Oneonta’s Gold Star Registry, Main St., Oneonta, NY. June 2022.

Numerous Email exchanges with Mike Super (Louis' nephew), April, 2023. 

Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/152843488/louis-s-super, accessed January 15, 2023.

"Last of Oneonta's War Dead Comes Home to Rest", Oneonta Star, Oneonta, NY, April 24, 1950, pg. 3.

Moore, Edwin, WWII Scapbook Series, Huntington Memorial Library, Oneonta, NY.

National Archives at Washington DC; Washington DC, USA; Applications for Headstones for U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1941; NAID: A1, 2110-C; Record Group Number: 92; Record Group Title: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General

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 Museum, History of the 106th Infantry Regiment

https://museum.dmna.ny.gov/unit-history/conflict/world-war-2-1939-1945/106th-infantry-regiment, accessed June 27, 2022.

Oneonta High School’s Student Newspaper. The Echo, Oneonta Historical Society, Main St. Oneonta, NY, June 2022.

Wikipedia, 106th Infantry Regiment, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/106th_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)#:~:text=The%20106th%20Infantry%20Regiment%20is%20an%20infantry%20regiment,independently%20and%20as%20parts%20of%20larger%20divisions.%20Contents, accessed June 27, 2022.

Year: 1930; Census Place: Oneonta, Otsego, New York; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 0036; FHL microfilm: 2341370

Supporting Files