New Book Honors Local Pennsylvanians Lost During WWII

MONESSEN, PA, August 25, 2025 (PittsburghNewsWire.com) — The personal stories of all 81 men of Monessen Pennsylvania who lost their lives during World War II are revealed in the new book Tin Men, Steel Soldiers: The price paid in WWII by a Pennsylvania mill town. On Saturday, September 20 at 11AM, the Greater Monessen Historical Society is featuring a presentation by its author John J. Turanin at the Monessen Public Library. The event is open to the public free of charge.

 

The book gives an account of each Monessen service member who died during WWII.  The author, whose father was born and raised in Monessen, is a native Western Pennsylvanian and a volunteer with Stories Behind the Stars, a national non-profit organization that is memorializing every US service member whose life was sacrificed during the war by writing their personal stories.

 

“Of the 81 men from Monessen lost, over 90% were first generation Americans … their parents immigrated to Western Pennsylvania near the turn of the 1900s,” says Turanin. “These families paid the ultimate price to show their worthiness as American citizens.”

 

Turanin has written more than 200 stories of WWII Fallen and is a contributing writer to the Mon Valley Independent newspaper. He will give remarks about the challenges he faced while researching the book and the inspiration that kept him motivated to complete the task. He will share compelling accounts about specific Monessen losses, such as:

 

-Lieutenant John Matola, stationed in The Philippines when war began, endured nearly 3 years in 3 POW camps and 3 “Hell ships” before his loss in Japan.

 

-Corporal Stanley Wargo, one of 1,149 who died in the single largest loss of life at sea due to enemy action when their ship was sunk by an aerial guided bomb off North Africa.

 

-Radioman Frank Bartosik, one of 322 lost crewmen on the battlecruiser USS Vincennes when the ship was annihilated by enemy gunfire off Guadalcanal.

 

-Private Stanley Zazac, gunned down in The Philippines while risking his life under heavy enemy gunfire to rescue a wounded fellow infantryman.

 

-Lieutenant Bernard Rosenson, the pilot of a P-51 Mustang fighter, was ambushed by enemy fighters and shot down over France.

 

Copies of Tin Men, Steel Soldiers will be available for purchase from the Historical Society at the event. Turanin will sign copies of the book and answer attendees’ questions.

 

The Monessen Public Library is located at 326 Donner Avenue in Monessen, PA.

 

Amazon Books: Tin Men Steel Soldiers: The price paid in WWII by a Pennsylvania mill town: True stories of the lives and losses of 81 men.: Turanin, John J: 9798218683634

Stories Behind the Stars: storiesbehindthestars.org.