{"id":26,"date":"2010-10-13T14:41:09","date_gmt":"2010-10-13T12:41:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/storiesbeyondthegraves.com\/?page_id=26"},"modified":"2025-05-16T23:32:48","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T21:32:48","slug":"biography-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.storiesbeyondthegraves.com\/veterans-of-worldwar-2\/ssg-john-s-semsey\/biography-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Biography John J. Semsey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Staff <\/span>Sergeant <\/span>John <\/span>J. <\/span>Semsey
\n<\/span><\/strong>December <\/span>24, <\/span>1908 \u2013 <\/span>April <\/span>6, <\/span>1945
\n<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
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John J. Semsey\u00a0<\/strong><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>John <\/span>J. <\/span>Semsey <\/span>was <\/span>born <\/span>on <\/span>December <\/span>24, <\/span>1908, <\/span>in <\/span>Philadelphia, <\/span>Pennsylvania, <\/span>to <\/span>Alex <\/span>Semsey, <\/span>a <\/span>Czechoslovakian <\/span>immigrant <\/span>who <\/span>arrived <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>United <\/span>States <\/span>in <\/span>1900, <\/span>and <\/span>Anna <\/span>Semsey-<\/span>Vojtko, <\/span>who <\/span>immigrated <\/span>in <\/span>1904. <\/span>The <\/span>Semsey <\/span>family <\/span>resided <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>38th <\/span>Ward <\/span>of <\/span>Philadelphia, <\/span>Pennsylvania.<\/span><\/h3>\n

John <\/span>was <\/span>one <\/span>of <\/span>six <\/span>children, <\/span>with <\/span>three <\/span>brothers\u2014<\/span>Michael, <\/span>Joseph, <\/span>and <\/span>Stephen\u2014<\/span>and <\/span>two <\/span>sisters, <\/span>Anna <\/span>and <\/span>Mary. <\/span>Raised <\/span>in <\/span>a <\/span>hardworking <\/span>immigrant <\/span>family, <\/span>John <\/span>entered <\/span>the <\/span>workforce <\/span>at <\/span>a <\/span>young <\/span>age <\/span>and <\/span>held <\/span>a <\/span>job <\/span>as <\/span>a <\/span>laborer <\/span>at <\/span>the <\/span>Nabisco <\/span>Company <\/span>in <\/span>Philadelphia.<\/span><\/p>\n

On <\/span>June <\/span>22, <\/span>1940, <\/span>John <\/span>married <\/span>Sophia <\/span>Gregory <\/span>Chomentowska<\/span><\/strong>, <\/span>also <\/span>a <\/span>native <\/span>of <\/span>Philadelphia.<\/span><\/p>\n

With <\/span>the <\/span>onset <\/span>of <\/span>World <\/span>War <\/span>II, <\/span>John <\/span>answered <\/span>his <\/span>country’s <\/span>call <\/span>to <\/span>service. <\/span>He <\/span>enlisted <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>United <\/span>States <\/span>Army <\/span>on <\/span>May <\/span>27, <\/span>1942, <\/span>and <\/span>was <\/span>assigned <\/span>Service <\/span>Number <\/span>33315116. <\/span>Rising <\/span>to <\/span>the <\/span>rank <\/span>of <\/span>Staff <\/span>Sergeant<\/span><\/strong>, <\/span>John <\/span>served <\/span>with <\/span>distinction <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>310th <\/span>Infantry <\/span>Regiment<\/span><\/strong> of <\/span>the <\/span>78th <\/span>Infantry <\/span>Division<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Patch of the 78th Infantry Division.<\/p><\/div>\n

John married Sophia Gregory Chomentowska on June 22, 1940.<\/p>\n

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Sophia Gregory Semsey-Chomentowska<\/p><\/div>\n

Sophia Gregory was born on July 10, 1911, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During World War II, inspired by patriotism and service, she enlisted in the Women\u2019s Army Corps (W.A.C.) on October 12, 1944, with Service Number A-319538. Sophia served with dedication until her discharge on June 20, 1947.<\/p>\n

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John Semsey’s news article in the local newspaper.<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Staff <\/span>Sergeant <\/span>Semsey <\/span>was <\/span>killed <\/span>in <\/span>action <\/span>during <\/span>combat <\/span>operations <\/span>in <\/span>Kirchen, <\/span>Germany<\/span><\/strong>, <\/span>on <\/span>the <\/span>morning <\/span>of <\/span>April <\/span>6, <\/span>1945<\/span><\/strong>. <\/span>Initially <\/span>reported <\/span>missing <\/span>in <\/span>action, <\/span>he <\/span>was <\/span>later <\/span>confirmed <\/span>to <\/span>have <\/span>died <\/span>from <\/span>a <\/span>fatal <\/span>shrapnel <\/span>wound <\/span>to <\/span>the <\/span>chest. <\/span>His <\/span>sacrifice <\/span>came <\/span>just <\/span>one <\/span>month <\/span>before <\/span>the <\/span>end <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>war <\/span>in <\/span>Europe.<\/span><\/p>\n

John <\/span>J. <\/span>Semsey <\/span>is <\/span>interred <\/span>with <\/span>honor <\/span>at <\/span>the <\/span>Netherlands <\/span>American <\/span>Cemetery<\/span><\/strong> in <\/span>Margraten<\/span><\/strong>, <\/span>where <\/span>he <\/span>lies <\/span>in <\/span>Plot <\/span>I, <\/span>Row <\/span>14, <\/span>Grave <\/span>2<\/span><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

After the loss of her husband, Staff Sergeant John Semsey, Sophia eventually remarried. She became Sophia Semsey-Urites and settled in Winter Garden, Florida, with her second husband, Ronald Urites.<\/p>\n

A devout Catholic, Sophia was a member of St. Andrew Catholic Church in Winter Garden. In 1961, when the church established St. Andrew Catholic School, Sophia sponsored a flagpole and memorial plaque in honor of her first husband, Staff Sergeant John J. Semsey. The memorial stands as a lasting tribute to his service and sacrifice.<\/p>\n

Sophia passed away on February 1, 1985. Her legacy of devotion, both in military service and community commitment, endures through the memorial she helped establish.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Flagpole memorial@ St. Andrew’s Catholic School<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

At <\/span>the <\/span>dedication <\/span>ceremony <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>flagpole <\/span>memorial <\/span>at <\/span>St. <\/span>Andrew <\/span>Catholic <\/span>School, <\/span>family, <\/span>and <\/span>friends <\/span>gathered <\/span>to <\/span>honor <\/span>the <\/span>memory <\/span>of <\/span>John <\/span>J. <\/span>Semsey. <\/span>Among <\/span>those <\/span>present <\/span>were <\/span>Eric <\/span>Wilhelmson<\/span><\/strong> (<\/span>Sophia\u2019s <\/span>nephew), <\/span>Curt <\/span>Myhre<\/span><\/strong> (<\/span>a <\/span>member <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>school\u2019s <\/span>men\u2019s <\/span>club), <\/span>and <\/span>Ralph<\/span><\/strong>, <\/span>along <\/span>with <\/span>his <\/span>parents, <\/span>John <\/span>and <\/span>Resie<\/span><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Their <\/span>presence <\/span>and <\/span>remembrance <\/span>ensure <\/span>that <\/span>the <\/span>story <\/span>of <\/span>John <\/span>and <\/span>Sophia <\/span>Semsey\u2014<\/span>marked <\/span>by <\/span>love, <\/span>service, <\/span>sacrifice, <\/span>and <\/span>resilience\u2014<\/span>continues <\/span>to <\/span>be <\/span>shared <\/span>with <\/span>future <\/span>generations.<\/span><\/p>\n

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West Orange Times Articles:|<\/p>\n

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Our\u00a0guestbook<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0is open for your commen<\/strong>ts!<\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Staff Sergeant John J. Semsey December 24, 1908 \u2013 April 6, 1945 \u00a0John J. Semsey was born on December 24, 1908, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Alex Semsey, a Czechoslovakian immigrant who arrived in the United States in 1900, and Anna … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":15,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-26","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.storiesbeyondthegraves.com\/veterans-of-worldwar-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/26","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.storiesbeyondthegraves.com\/veterans-of-worldwar-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.storiesbeyondthegraves.com\/veterans-of-worldwar-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.storiesbeyondthegraves.com\/veterans-of-worldwar-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.storiesbeyondthegraves.com\/veterans-of-worldwar-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26"}],"version-history":[{"count":76,"href":"https:\/\/www.storiesbeyondthegraves.com\/veterans-of-worldwar-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/26\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6699,"href":"https:\/\/www.storiesbeyondthegraves.com\/veterans-of-worldwar-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/26\/revisions\/6699"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.storiesbeyondthegraves.com\/veterans-of-worldwar-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.storiesbeyondthegraves.com\/veterans-of-worldwar-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}