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Author of New Book Honoring Local WWII Fallen to be Featured at Monessen Public Library

The stories of all 81 men from Monessen Pennsylvania who lost their lives during World War II are told in the new book ‘Tin Men, Steel Soldiers: The price paid in WWII by a Pennsylvania mill town’. On Saturday, September 20 at 11:00AM, the Greater Monessen Historical Society is featuring a presentation by the books author, John J. Turanin at the Monessen Public Library. The event is open to the public free of charge.

The book gives an account of each Monessen service member who died during WWII, of which 75 were first generation Americans whose parents immigrated to Western Pennsylvania near the turn of the century. The author, whose father was born and raised in Monessen, is a native Western Pennsylvanian and a volunteer with Stories Behind the Stars, a national non-profit organization that is memorializing every US service member whose life was sacrificed during the war.

Turanin will give remarks about the challenges he faced while researching the book and the inspiration that kept him motivated to complete the task. He will share selected accounts about specific Monessen losses, such as:

• Lieutenant John Matola, stationed in The Philippines when war began, endured nearly 3 years in 3 POW camps and 3 “Hell ships” before his loss in Japan.
• Corporal Stanley Wargo, one of 1,149 who died in the single largest loss of life at sea due to enemy action when their ship was sunk by an aerial guided bomb off North Africa.
• Radioman Frank Bartosik, one of 322 lost crewmen on the battlecruiser USS Vincennes when the ship was annihilated by enemy gunfire off Guadalcanal.

Copies of the book Tin Men, Steel Soldiers will be available for purchase from the Historical Society at the event. Turanin will sign copies of the book and answer attendees’ questions.

For more information:

• The Greater Monessen Historical Society, 724-684-8460, monessen@verizon.net, Website Monessen Historical Society
• Author John Turanin, 510-928-5873, jjturanin@gmail.com
• Tin Men Steel Soldiers: The price paid in WWII by a Pennsylvania mill town: True stories of the lives and losses of 81 men.: Turanin, John J: 9798218683634: Amazon.com: Books
• Stories Behind the Stars: Website Stories of fallen WWII heroes | Stories Behind the Stars

The Monessen Public Library is located at 326 Donner Avenue in Monessen, PA.

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