Pulak, Joseph P.
(1931 - Jan. 30, 1951)
Korean War casualtyThe United States lost 36,516 soldiers in Korea. Remembering their sacrifices is never over. The clipping I have in my collection on Private First Class Pulak is from the defunct Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, Feb 17, 1951, which goes to show how long I have been interested in Polish families of America. Of course, my attention in Polish history is older. Had I time in the past 57 years to find out where the family lived in Philadelphia, what his father did for a living, where he came from, and other personal information, I would have a different story to write now.
As it stands, Pulak, whose name was released to the media by the Defense Department on Feb. 15, 1951, was graduated from St. Adalbert elementary school and Jones Junior High School in Philadelphia. He dropped out of Northeast High School in October 1948 to enlist in the U.S. Army. He was assigned to Company A, 772nd Military Police Battalion. He landed in Japan just before Christmas of 1950 and went to Korea soon afterward where General Douglas MacArthur was commander of the American forces.
If his name were misspelled, the search for his Polish roots would be fruitless. Even the origin of Pulak is up in the air. Personal details by name and address from the 1940 and 1950 censuses will not be available for 72 years ‹ exactly 2012 and 2022, respectively. The first look at the 1930 census to determine the family's address, occupations, state or country of birth, native language, and age came up in 2002. For the first time, surnames were coded using a "Soundex" to help researchers find names even if they were recorded under different spellings or if the correct address was unknown.
Without using any tools, Private Pulak's father, Paul, who came from Zarowka, Poland in 1906, was found in 1930 at 3177 Livingston Street, Philadelphia's 25th ward, in a house valued at $2,500, with his wife, Victoria, two years older or four years younger than Paul, whom she married when she was 24 years old. According to death records, he was born June 29, 1888, and she, February 15, 1892. At the time of the census, Paul Pulak was a spinner in a woolen mill. He died in August of 1974 and his wife in May of 1973.
Previously, in 1920, the family lived at 3140 Miller Street and all of their neighbors were Polish. It meant when their children played in the street they played with children of the same background. The first child of the family to come out of Miller Street was Stephen P. Pulak, who was born May 11, 1917, and he was followed by Bertha Pulak, and then, on February 21, 1924, by Edward P. Pulak. The soldier who died in Korea came after them. Stephen Pulak died August 12, 1999, at Ormond Beach, Florida. Edward Pulak died in Philadelphia on July 3, 2005.
If anyone cares to fill in the blank spaces, I'll be glad to hear from you. Anyway, don't forget Private Pulak.
From: Edward Pinkowski (2009)