Edge Rewrite
translate Source code View original
Jump to content

Albin F. Irzyk

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Albin Irzyk)

Albin F. Irzyk
Born(1917-01-02)January 2, 1917
Salem, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedSeptember 10, 2018(2018-09-10) (aged 101)
West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
AllegianceUnited States of America
Branch
 United States Army
Service years
1940–1971
Rank
Brigadier general
Commands14th Armored Cavalry Regiment
Conflicts
World War II
Berlin Crisis of 1961
Vietnam War
AwardsDistinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army)
Silver Star (2)
Bronze Star (4)
Purple Heart (2)
Legion of Merit (U.S. Army) (3)
Air Medal (11)
Legion of Honour (France)
Order of the Crown (Belgium)
Croix de guerre 1939–1945 (France)
Czechoslovak War Cross 1939–1945
Gallantry Cross (South Vietnam)
RelationsFelix Irzyk (father)

Albin Felix Irzyk (January 2, 1917 – September 10, 2018) was an American brigadier general who was the oldest living veteran of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment.[1] Joining the Army in 1940, he was the Commander of the 8th Tank Battalion of the 4th Armored Division of the United States Army during World War II, the Commander of the 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment during the Berlin Crisis of 1961, and Assistant Commander of the 4th Infantry Division in South Vietnam during his career.

Early life and education

[edit]

Irzyk was born on January 2, 1917, in Salem, Massachusetts.[2] His parents, Felix and Sophia (Mroczka) Irzyk, had immigrated from Poland.[3] Felix Irzyk was the first person born in Poland to serve in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.[4]

While at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, he received a bachelor's degree, and a commission from the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) in the Horse Cavalry. Irzyk also has a master's degree in International Relations from the American University in Washington, D.C., and graduated from the National War College.[5]

Military career

[edit]

Irzyk enlisted in the United States Army in 1940. During the Battle of the Bulge, he led 74 tanks and 3,500 soliders and helped liberate the Ohrdruf concentration camp.[3]

In January 1968, Irzyk was commander of the Army's Headquarters Area Command in Saigon, in this role Irzyk organised the quick-reaction forces in the city that countered the Viet Cong Tet Offensive.[6]

He retired from the army as the Commanding General of Fort Devens, Massachusetts in 1971.[7]

Writing career

[edit]

Irzyk has written multiple books,[8] including an autobiographical book He Rode Up Front for Patton (1996)[9] and Patton's Juggernaut (2017).[10]

Legacy and honors

[edit]

In 1999, a park on Fort Avenue in Salem, Massachusetts was dedicated to him. There is a military tank displayed there.[7]

He turned 100 in January 2017[2][7] and died on September 10, 2018, at the age of 101 in West Palm Beach, Florida.[11][5] He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.[12]

Awards

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Brave Rifles leaders visit oldest living 3rd CR veteran". United States Army. 2 February 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  2. 1 2 Kenneth O. Preston (30 January 2017). "Irzyk explains performance of American tanks in World War II". Association of the United States Army. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  3. 1 2 "Oral history interview with Albin Irzyk". United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  4. ↑ Merrill, John (21 September 1930). "Burrill to Run Against Burrell". The Boston Globe.
  5. 1 2 3 "Albin F. Irzyk Awards". TracesOfWar.com. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  6. ↑ Paschall, Rod (4 January 2013). "Tet: Circling the wagons in Saigon". Vietnam Magazine. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 "Irzyk Park - City of Salem MA". www.salem.com. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  8. ↑ "Brigadier General Albin F. Irzyk, WWII Tank Commander in Patton's Famed Third Army, Speaks at Daemen College". my.daemen.edu. Daemen Today. Archived from the original on 3 January 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  9. ↑ He rode up front for Patton. Pentland Press. 1996. ISBN 9781571970077. OCLC 34548750.
  10. ↑ Patton's Juggernaut: The Rolling 8-Ball. Elderberry Press, Inc. 2017. ISBN 9781934956731. OCLC 1005517534.
  11. ↑ Kleinberg, Eliot (15 September 2018). "Albin Irzyk, leader in WWII and Vietnam, dies at 101 in West Palm Beach". Palm Beach Post. Archived from the original on 9 August 2019.
  12. ↑ "Burial detail: Irzyk, Albin Felix". ANC Explorer. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  13. ↑ "Valor awards for Albin F. Irzyk". valor.militarytimes.com.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Daugherty III, Leo J. (17 September 2018). "101-year-old former warrior, Fort Knox commander dies". United States Army. Archived from the original on 26 January 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Albin_F._Irzyk&oldid=1357840167"