John Steve Kauzlarich was born Dec. 25, 1919 to George D. and Tina E. Kauzlarich. He died Feb. 11, 1945 and has a cenotaph in Oakland Cemetery, Centerville, IA.
Pvt. Kauzlarich served with the U.S. Army in World War II. He was KIA in the southwest Pacific area, north of Mindanao Island. He was on a ship from Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea, heading for the Philippine Islands when they were attacked by an enemy submarine and received two torpedo hits amidships. The explosion broke the vessel in half and it was sunk in a matter of seconds, trapping everyone inside.
Source: ancestry.com
