Staff photo / J.T. Whitehouse ... Alex Wasylychyn, left, and his son, Allen Wasylychyn of Lake Milton, spend a lot of time enjoying each other’s company.

CANFIELD — Alex Wasylychyn turned 100 a few months ago.

While he doesn’t get around like he used to, he does have a good mind and remembers his service years and the vital part his unit played in winning the second world war in Europe.

Alex grew up on the South Side of Youngstown during the Great Depression and learned to work hard for a living at a young age. At 8, he hung out in downtown Youngstown and shined shoes to earn money.

“We still have the brushes he used back then,” said his son, Allen Wasylychyn. “He used to shine shoes in front of the Pick-Ohio Hotel where he got the most money.”

Alex graduated from South High School in 1943 and was immediately drafted into the Army.

“I was drafted right out of high school,” he said.

Alex was sent to Fort Hood, Texas, for his basic training. He continued his training at Camp Carson, Colorado, and finished up at Fort Benning, Georgia, earning the rank of corporal. At Camp Carson, Alex was assigned to Company B, 271st Engineer Combat Battalion, 71st Infantry Division, which was activated on July 15, 1943.

“We learned to ski and how to clear paths for tanks and men to travel on,” he said.

Their ski training would come in handy as they shipped out to Europe to play a critical role in the Rhineland Campaign. After a long training period, the division headed overseas in 1945.

The 71st Infantry Division arrived at Le Havre, France, on Feb. 6, 1945, and received further training at Camp Old Gold before moving east to Ratswiller, France, where the division went into action March 11 when they met the German Army.

“It was no picnic,” Wasylychyn said. “It was cold and snowy. It was the coldest that region recorded in over 100 years. We covered our feet in blankets of footwear.”

Although he was in an engineer battalion, the men in the unit were all trained on rifles and were ready to fight, he said.

The 71st Division successfully continued to push the Germans back and on March 30, 1945, crossed the Rhine River at Oppenheim, Germany.

“We built the bridges that took the men and equipment across the river,” Wasylychyn said.

He said the bridge was made by using long boats that were tied to one another all the way across the river. A temporary road was laid across the boats and carried the weight of tanks and trucks as the 71st moved into Germany.

His unit continued to press on, crossing the Danube River on April 26 and entering Austria on May 2 as the resistance crumbled. The division played a big role in the Battle of the Bulge — the final big battle that helped bring an end to the war in Europe.

“They told us the war with Germany was over and we would be assigned to the Pacific,” Wasylychyn said. “So we shipped out to head to the island of Okinawa. While we were en route, the bomb was dropped, and Japan surrendered. I elected to stay on the island during an occupation. I got to take trips and see the countryside while there. It was different food than in Europe.”

In April 1946, Wasylychyn headed back to the states to receive an honorable discharge. He didn’t return home broke, either.

“My dad loves to play poker,” Allen said. “On the ship voyage back to the states, he managed to win $35,000 playing poker. He still plays today and always takes our money.”

On April 13, 1946, Wasylychyn received his honorable discharge at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. He was ready to return to civilian life.

He landed a good job working in the chemistry lab in the locomotive shop at U.S. Steel in Youngstown.

“It was just as the mill was changing to diesel engines,” Wasylychyn said. “Part of our job was to take a small hustler (small locomotive) down the tracks to pick up a broken down engine and bring it back to the locomotive shop.”

He stayed with U.S. Steel until the doors were closed in March 1980. Without work, Wasylychyn turned to Ohio Sen. Harry Meshel, who pulled some strings and got him a job with the Ohio State Liquor Store in Youngstown.

“He wasn’t there long,” Allen said. “He was robbed three times, and the whole family pushed him to leave and find a better job.”

He ended up at the Dollar Bank in Youngstown as a money counter. He stayed with it and retired.

On Dec. 3, he turned 100 and he said he feels blessed with a daughter and two sons, seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. And he feels pretty certain he can continue to beat them all at the poker table.

One other vice he said he enjoys is chewing tobacco. Allen said his father started chewing back when he was 8 years old and shining shoes. It was a different time, but he still enjoys a chew today, more than 90 years later.