8
2019 1,eptember S WEEKLY BRONX John N. Sekul’s neice and nephew, Niki Cohen and Michael Sekul, along with John’s relative, Christopher Sekul and more family were joined by Councilman Ruben Diaz, Sr., to unveil the street co-naming.
Photo by Silvio Pacifi co
Castle Hill street co-named for Bronx Bomber, WWII hero
BY ALEX MITCHELL
Hill home on Monday,
his sister and two brothers
After earning the rank
to their homes, the townspeople
day.
An American hero who
August 26.
before enlisting in the
of second lieutenant in
approached and beat
More than a commemoration,
com fell victim to an almost forgotten
John N. Sekul was a
air force as a 20-year-old
1944, John and eight other
the Wham Bam Thank You
the forgotten story
heinous crime at the
true patriot since his days
in 1942, after graduating
airmen prepared for their
Ma’m! crew mercilessly
of John’s murder united
BXTimes.hands of a Nazi offi cer was
living at his family home of
from Evander Childs High
very mission fl ying a consolidated
with the assistance of a German
two parts of the Sekul family
immortalized near his Castle
2263 Newbold Avenue with
School.
B-24 ‘Liberator’
air-raid warden, Josef
that didn’t know each
named the ‘Wham Bam
Hartgen.
other existed prior to the
Thank You Ma’m!’ was copiloted
The more Sekul and crew
ceremony.
www.by Sekul.
reacted to the beating, the
Christopher Sekul,
That spirited aircraft
worse they were pummeled
the son of John’s brother,
joined 2,000 Allied planes on
with hammers, shovels,
Nicholas, found John’s fi rst
an extensive bombing raid
wood planks, and whatever
cousin and oldest living relative,
near Hanover, Germany on
the German civilians could
Michael online after
Sunday, August 24, 1944.
get their hands on.
learning of the Rüsselsheim
The Wham Bam Thank You
Hartgen then lined up
Massacre.
Ma’m! along with 485 B-24s,
the about to-be-lynched air
The reunited family realized
834 B-17s, and 739 fi ghter
force men to be executed in
how far its military
planes took part in the largest
front of the angry mob.
roots continued past John.
fl ight formation to leave
Sekul and three of his
Nicholas was also killed in
England at its time.
comrades were shot dead
action during World War II,
Things went south for
at point blank range at the
while Michael had joined
the crew as they approached
hands of the Nazi offi cer.
the U.S. Air Force in 1961.
Hanover.
One witness later told during
Prior to that he lived on
Taking heavy fl ack and
a war crimes trial that
Bruckner Boulevard.
anti-aircraft suppression
he remembered Sekul looking
“Several Sekuls were
to the Liberator’s bomb bay
up shaking his head no,
killed in the line of duty,”
and hydraulic system, an
as he was about to be shot.
Christopher said at the conaming.
order to bail out behind enemy
The other two B-24 crewmembers
lines was given to the
cheated death
When Christopher and
desperate crew.
when Hartgen ran out of
Sekul along with pilot
ammunition and an air raid
Norman J. Rogers, Jr.
siren alert caused the mob
were the last to jump from
to disperse.
the bomber as it began to
Hartgen was found guilty
plunge into a German farmland,
of war crimes after peace
where the whole crew
was restored and hanged.
was captured.
A motorcade of veterans
After a day and a half
proceeded past Sekul’s
of being moved by German
Bronx home on Monday afternoon
troops, the crew passed
along with family,
through Rüsselsheim,
community members and
Germany which had been
elected offi cials to unveil
shelled by Royal Air Force
‘John N Sekul Way’ at the
Michael and Christopher
bombers the night before.
intersection of Newbold and
both agreed on the signifi -
Enraged by the damage
Havemeyer avenues exactly
cance of keeping John N.
the bombing infl icted
75 years after that tragic
Sekul’s memory alive. Michael learned more
about the family’s patriotic
history, they also
found out that the separated
families pronounce
their last name differently.
“We say Se-kul and
they say Sek-ul, but they
also cook great so we let it
slide,” Michael joked.
Regardless of a difference
over pronunciation,
TOP $ PAID
FOR JUDAICA
COLLECTIBLES
HOUSE
CALLS
SAME SAME DAY
DAY
SERVICE
SERVICE
AVAILABLE
AVAILABLE
HOUSE
CALLS
SERVING BRONX
AND THE ENTIRE
TRI-STATE AREA
ANTIQUES AND ESTATE BUYERS
WE PAY $ CASH $ FOR
ALL GOLD, GOLD & STERLING SILVER
COSTUME JEWELRY, ALL COINS, PAPER
MONEY & STAMP COLLECTIONS
ALL GOLD...BROKEN OR NOT
PRE- 1960 FURNITURE, CLOCKS & WATCHES
(WORKING OR NOT) TIFFANY,
BACCARAT, LALIQUE
The List is Endless
YERS
SEE OUR AD IN THE SUNDAY POST
ASK FOR CHRISTOPHER
www.AntiqueAndEstateBuyers.com
for Antique
Q
ES
MILITARY
Collections Wanted
Swords, Knives,
Helmets, etc.
ANTIQUES AND ESTATE BUYERS
We buy anything old. One piece or house full.
WILL TRAVEL. WE MAKE HOUSE CALLS.
FREE
Estimate
WILL TRAVEL
ENTIRE TRI-STATE
/www.by
/www.AntiqueAndEstateBuyers.com