Casimir Frank Kamashinski

Their Story

Casimer Frank Kamasinski was born on April 12, 1899 in Manistee, Michigan, to parents of Polish descent. Martin and Katarzyna (Waclawska) Kamasinski were both born in Poland, arriving in the U.S. in 1872 and 1885 respectively.^[1] Casimer was the youngest of 11 children born to them. Martin had previously been married in Poland to Mary Catherine Romanska when she was 16 years old and they had one child: John Joseph, who was born in Michigan. She died 9 months after giving birth to John. Martin married Katarzyna in 1879 in Chicago, Illinois.

Martin and “Kate” lost four children before they died. Two sons died within months of Casimer being born in 1899: Francis at age 14 from acute rheumatism endocarditis cardiac spasm^[2], and George Adalbert at age 4 from cerebral spinal meningitis^[3]. Michael died some time before 1900 of unknown causes. Casimer’s brother, Jacob, died at age 17 from epilepsy.^[4] In 1900, the family lived in Manistee, Michigan. Martín and the two eldest sons were laborers in a sawmill and Casimer was just a baby.

Instructions to 1900 census takers: “142. In case the person speaks Polish, as Poland is not now a country, inquire whether the birthplace was what is now known as German Poland or Austrian Poland or Russian Poland, and enter the answer accordingly as Poland (Ger.), Poland (Aust.), or Poland (Russ.).” Their entry was Poland (Ger.).

Casimer was a cooper with Morton Salt Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at the time of his registration for the WWI draft on September 12, 1918.^[5] He was 19 years of age and signed his name Casimer Kamasinski. His brother, Joseph, served in WWI with Co. B 311th Engineers, returning from Bordeaux, France, on the U.S.S. Radnor June 13, 1919.^[6] No information about Casimer could be found related to service in WWI.

In 1920, Casimer lived with his sister, Anna, and her husband, along with a brother, Alex, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.^[7] He was a laborer at a machine shop at that time. In 1930, he still lived with his sister, but she was married to someone else, her former husband having died.^[8] Casimer was a cooper, a maker of wooden casks, at that time.

Casimer again registered for the draft on Valentine’s Day 1942, at the age of 42, this time for WWII. ^[9] Just six days before, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law War Time Daylight Savings Time as a national defense measure to conserve energy.^[10] Casimer lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and was employed at Milwaukee Chair Company. He signed his name as Casimer Kamasinski. He enlisted in the Army November 18, 1942, and served as a Private with Company B, 55th MED TRG BN during WWII.^[11] He was discharged June 10, 1944, just 4 days after the Invasion of Normandy, so would not have been part of the military as it fought its way through Europe.^[12]

The 55th Medical Group was first constituted on January 13, 1941, in the Regular Army as the 55th Medical Battalion and activated on February 10, 1941, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. The unit was reorganized and redesignated July 31, 1942, as the 55th Medical Battalion, Motorized. The Battalion was broken up April 5, 1944, and its elements reorganized and redesignated [renamed]. Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 55th Medical Battalion, Motorized was reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 55th Medical Battalion. Companies A, B, and C were reorganized and redesignated as the 494th, 495th, and 496th Medical Collecting Companies, respectively.^[13]

At the age of 73, Casimer died in Chicago, Illinois, June 22, 1972. He was the last surviving member of his immediate family, having lost every sibling.