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On the EAWorld War II Vet receives Silver Star nearly 57 years after battling enemy forces

by John K. Manne, New Castle News

It took nearly 57 years, but Joseph Broschart of Union Township has finally received the Silver Star he earned in a firefight with enemy forces in the South Pacific during World War II.

Broschart was awarded the medal yesterday in U.S. Rep. Ron Klink's New Castle office by Dick Picio, an aide to the congressman. It ws through the efforts of Klink's office that Broschart, who was a waist gunner with the 320th Bombardment Squadron of the Army Air Corps, received the medal.

The Silver Star is awarded to a person who is cited for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force.

Two other men, Dean Jeffers and Frank Matthews, who were with Broschart on the same mission, also received the Silver Star belatedly.

Picio said the reason the men hadn't received the medal was that nobody in the Air Corps had followed through on the matter. Broschart said he, Jeffers and Matthews returned to the United States before the citation was written.

"It was somewhere in the pipeline," Broschart said.

Picio said he was notified by Jeffers' daughter in Wisconsin, who worked through another congressman to get the Silver Star for her father, that the three men deserved the medal.

Picio wrote a letter to the Army in July to investigate and received a reply on Aug. 1 that Broschart deserved the Silver Star, which is the third highest military honor after the Medal of Honor and Distinguished Flying Cross.

Broschart, 77, reacted nonchalantly to receiving the award.

"Well, it just adds to my collection," he said.

He also has received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Purple Heart in addition to many other medals.

On Sept. 28, 1943, then Staff Sgt. Broschart was on a strike mission against a supply area west of Mission Point, Wewak, New Guinea, according to the Army's citation. The 320th Bombardment Squadron received a concentrated attack from enemy anti- aircraft fire and fighters.

Broschart's plane was attacked by eight enemy fighters, but despite "these distractions, bombs were dropped squarely on the target, destroying stores and fuel in the dump area," the citation reads.

He overheard a Lt. Layhee tell Tech Sgt. Matthews of trouble with the rudder cable. Realizing that the aircraft and probably the entire crew could be lost unless the cable could be spliced, Broschart "courageously left his gun to aid Tech Sgt. Matthews and Staff Sgt. Jeffers, leaving his oxygen supply to do so."

"A burst of anti-aircraft fire severed" the electrical wiring aft of the waist window, shorting the alarm system. As the three men pulled on the cable ends, the tension on the rudder cable would skid the airplane far out of formation. Finally, on the fourth try, they obtained enough slack to allow the engineer to clamp the ends together and give the pilot sufficient control to maintain formation.

Broschart and Jeffers, "weak from prolonged activity at 18, 000 feet without oxygen, returned to their gun positions and immediately began firing at the intercepting fighters."

Broschart said he was without oxygen for about 15 minutes, but his only ill-effect was a headache.

The citation says that the fighters finally broke off combat and the airplane was brought safely in to base where upon landing more than 50 strike holes were counted in the wings and fuselage.

"Lt. Layhee and the crew of the airplane consider that it was largely through the efforts of Staff Sgt. Broschart, Jeffers and Matthews that the badly dmanaged airplane was able to successfully complete its mission and return its crew safely to base.

"Staff Sgt. Broschart's display of gallantry, coolness and courage, with complete disregard for his personal safety, is in the highest tradition of military service and reflects great credit on himself, the 320th Bombardment Squadron and the United States Army."

Asked what his thoughts were during the fight, Broschart said, "We were too busy to be afraid."