Brunswick Historical Society

The Brunswick Historical Society in conjunction with Chapter 38, Disabled American Veterans will present a free Veterans Day Program entitled " Beyond All Boundaries" at the Headquarters of the Brunswick Historical Society, 605 Brunswick Road, (State Rt. 2) Brunswick at 1:00 P.M. on November 19th, 2011.

We have invited three area Combat Veterans of World War II from Chapter 38 to tell how they survived the rigors of Combat and returned home to share their heroic adventures. PFC Anthony F. Schmitz of Albany a Combat Infantryman, and a holder of the Bronze Star Medal, will talk about how he survived the Bombardment of the Anzio Express, at the Battle of the Caves, in Italy and how he went on to invade Southern France and Germany with the Famed 45th, Infantry Division.
Navy Signalman Robert A. Gusberti of Watervliet will talk about how he survived a Kamikaze attack on his ship the Destroyer USS Lamson (DD 367) in Ormoc Bay,the Philippine Islands, and how he lived to tell the tale thanks to the newly invented miracle drug Penicillin. Mr. Gusberti received 3rd degree burns over most of his body and was awarded the Purple Heart for those wounds.
Harry Karpiak, USMC, one of the only three remaining brothers of the Karpiack family from Averill Park will be on hand. During World War II the family had six (6) boys in the service. Harry will talk about his experiences aboard the USS Alaska (CB-1) where he served as a Pointer on one of the Ships 5 inch 38 Caliber guns; and what it was like to take part in the infamous Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa from the unique perspective of a 5 inch gun turret aboard an equally famous World War II Battle Cruiser. The Karpiak family had 14 children, ten (10) boys, six ( 6) of whom became of military age and served their Country honorably during World War II. According to Tracy those in attendance will be given a chance to ask these Combat Veterans firsthand what it was like, during a question and answer period.