Published Thursday, Nov. 11, 1999 A few weeks ago, the West Middlesex widow was sent a special package that will make this Veterans Day a memorable one. Mrs. Rakoci said a World War II historian and a collector teamed up to return a family treasure that belonged to her war-veteran husband, John.
It was an aluminum mess kit cover left at the site of the Battle of the Bulge. The lid had been covered by battlefield earth and preserved for over 50 years.
The battle, which lasted from Dec. 16, 1944 to Jan. 28, 1945, was the largest land battle of WWII with more than a million men taking part. The outcome: 19,000 American and 200 British soldiers killed, 81,000 United States and 1,400 British servicemen wounded, and 100,000 Germans killed, wounded or captured.
Mrs. Rakoci, 70, said her husband, who died in 1976, served in Company H, 394th Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division during the battle.
John Rakoci was a monument maker, working most of his life for his family's business in Farrell. Preserved on the mess kit lid was a bit of his handiwork -- his intricately carved last name and serial number, "Rakoci 6910."
"I bet he didn't even know that he left it or lost it there," she said.
Mrs. Rakoci said her husband, who she married in 1946, brought home some war memorabilia, such as photographs of Hitler, a swastika pin from a German soldier and drafting tools. But he did not talk much about the action he saw.
"He always said anyone who brags and blows didn't see any action," Mrs. Rakoci explained. "The ones who sat back and didn't say anything, did."
Mrs. Rakoci said she found out about her husband's mess kit a few years ago when she got a phone call from Joseph Keirn. The Altoona man phoned to find Rakoci after the lid was found on the northern part of the battle's 80 mile front.
Mrs. Rakoci said she told Keirn her husband was dead but soon learned about the find.
"I was shaking. I couldn't wait to the call the kids," Mrs. Rakoci said.
Each November after that for a few years, Mrs. Rakoci said she heard from Keirn. It wasn't until Feb. 2, 1999 that she got a letter from Jean Philippe Speder, the Belgian who actually found the lid.
Speder said he had been interested in military history and the Battle of the Bulge. He was mainly interested in soldier's stories and had contacted many veterans to hear true tales of battle.
Speder was particularly interested in the 99th Infantry Division and looked for war memorabilia such as dog tags, ID bracelets or any other items bearing a name, such as a canteen or mess kit, that would allow him to trace the former owner.
A few years ago, Speder said he was searching the battlefield with a metal detector when he found a mess kit cover. He used his computer to match what he though read "Rakoci 6010" with a list of 10,000 G.I. names and serial numbers he has compiled over the years.
Speder said he could not find a match in his database or through the Veterans Administration. He placed the mess kit in a small museum he owns, where it remained until last year.
One day, Speder said he came upon a name spelled "Racoci" with the serial number ASN 33406910. The official listing had misspelled Rakoci's last name and Speder had mistaken 6010 for 6910.
Mrs. Rakoci said Speder's only request was that the family send him a copy of a WWII photograph of Rakoci in uniform.
"He didn't want any money for sending it," Mrs. Rakoci said. "He said John had already paid for it in 1944."
Mrs. Rakoci said she has spent a lot of time showing the cover to friends and family. She plans to put the cover in shadow box in her living room.
"I don't know what to say," she said, smiling and shedding a tear. "This is once in a lifetime."
