Edward Ray Gondolf

PRIVATE EDWARD RAY GONDOLF, was born on October 26, 1912 to Gus and Winifred T. "Winnie" Gondolf, in New Jersey. His paternal grandfather Edward had owned and operated the Temple Bar and Hotel at 407-409 Market Street in Camden from 1900 to 1918. By April of 1930 the Gus Gondolf family had purchased a home at 1462 Belleview Avenue, in the Parkside neighborhood of Camden NJ. His father at that time was superintendent of a garage, he was later employed by the N.J. Department of Motor Vehicles. In 1930 there were two other brothers at home, Donald, and Gus Jr. Edward Gondolf graduated from Camden High School.

Edward Gondolf operated a gas station on the Airport Circle in Pennsauken NJ prior to being inducted into the United States Army. He also worked in the C & R Department at a DuPont Corporation plant in Philadelphia PA . He and his wife Sallie lived at 302 Rosedale Avenue, in the Westfield Acres Housing Project in Camden NJ, which was built in 1938. Called up in December of 1943, he was assigned to Company I, 399th Infantry Regiment, 100th Infantry Division. Another man from East Camden, Staff Sergeant Joseph Galiazzi, was assigned to Company A, 399th Infantry. He served with the 399th at Fort Bragg NC until the unit went overseas by way of Camp Kilmer NJ and the New York Port of Embarkation on October 6, 1944. Private Gondolf and his unit arrived at Marseilles, France on October 20, 1944. After arriving in Europe, Edward Gondolf had the opportunity to meet and visit with his brother Gus Jr.

Elements of the 110th Infantry Division went into combat at St. Remy in the Vosges Mountains on November 1, 1944. On November 12, the 399th Infantry and brother regiment the 397th attacked across the Meurthe River at Baccarat to outflank Raon-l'Etape. Defeating a German counter-attack, the 100th Division took Raon-l'Etape on November 18. The division took Moyonmoutier without opposition on November 21, and overran St. Blaise on November 23, and fought in the Vosges for three more days before halting its attacks on November 26. From November 27 through December 2, the division held defensive positions in the Saarebourg sector and held the Severne Gap Bridgehead while rehabilitating.

The 100th Infantry Division began the drive on the heavily fortified town of Bitche, Germany on December 3, 1944. After clearing Meisenthal and surrounding Mouterhouse by December 6, the 399th Infantry began its assault on Lemberg, on December 7, 1944. 

Sherman of the 781st Tank Battalion damaged in the 100th's assault on Lemberg, December 1944

Lemberg was defended by the German 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Regiment 951 of the 361st Volks-Grenadier Division. On this day Third Battalion, 399th Infantry Regiment, won a Distinguished Unit Citation. On this day also, Private Edward Gondolf of Camden NJ won the Silver Star for gallantry, while losing his life in service of his country.

Private Edward Gondolf's passing was reported in the Camden Courier-Post January 3, 1945 edition.  He was survived by his wife Sallie, of the Rosedale Avenue address, his parents Gus and Winifred Gondolf Sr. of 1462 Belleview Avenue, Camden NJ, and his two brothers, Donald, a government employee in Washington DC, and Gus Jr., who was in the infantry in Europe, and his grandmother, Jennie Gondolf.

On October 24, 1945 Edward Gondolf was posthumously award the Silver Star medal for his gallantry at the Battle for Lemberg. In 1948, Edward Gondolf was returned to the United States, and he was buried at Beverly National Cemetery in Beverly NJ on December 10, 1948. His brother, Gus Gondolf Jr., owned Mickey's Grille in Magnolia NJ in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

1462 Belleview Avenue, Camden NJ - November 2002

Camden
Courier-Post

December 7, 1947

Gus and Winifred Gondolf rest together at Harleigh Cemetery in Camden NJ.