Sidney Moskin was born on 27 January 1921 in Englewood New Jersey (NJ) to Louis Moskin and Lena Moskin. Louis and Lena were both born in Russia. Sidney had three brothers: George, Harry and Robert. Harry Moskin would also serve in the US Army. Harry survived WW II. Sidney completed 4 years of High School and was employed at Picatinny Arsenal in Mount Hope, New Jersey in 1940.

Sidney Moskin enlisted in the US Army on 15 September 1942 in Newark NJ.

Private (PVT) Sidney Moskin was assigned to B (Baker) Company 1st Battalion 17th Infantry (1-17 IN), 7th Infantry Division (7th ID) in WW II. The 7th ID was training in the Mojave Desert in 1942 in preparation for combat as a Motorized Infantry Division to deploy to North Africa. The 7th ID was tasked in March 1943 to be the assault element to retake Attu Island, Alaska from the Japanese Army.

Attu and Kiska Islands are part of the Aleutian Chain in Alaska and had been seized by Imperial Japanese Forces on 6 June 1942 as part of large Japanese Naval Offensive. There was no opposition to either landing. A small US Navy Weather Reporting Station on Kiska consisting of 10 personnel was captured and the US Navy sailors were sent to Japan as prisoners of war. The Island of Attu was captured by a Japanese Army Infantry battalion. Attu village at the time consisted of 43 Aleuts (Unanagin) and a female schoolteacher and her husband. The Japanese later transported the Aleuts as prisoners to Japan. The schoolteacher Etta Jones was also transported to Japan as a prisoner. Etta’s husband Foster Jones was executed by the Japanese on 6 June 1942 and buried by the Attu Villagers at the Russian Orthodox Church graveyard. At the end of the war 25 of the original 43 Aleuts from Attu were repatriated to the US. The remaining 18 died of disease and malnutrition in Japan.

On 11 May 1943 the 7th ID made three landings on Attu the main effort at Massacre Bay, a supporting effort at Red Beach north of Holtz Bay and another supporting effort at Austin Cove by the 7th ID Provisional Scout Company. PVT Moskin landed on Red Beach north of Holtz Bay with B Co 1-17 IN on 11 May 1943 under the command of MAJ Albert Hartl. 1-17 IN initial objective after landing was a hill complex designated HILL X which overlooked Holtz Bay the main Japanese Base on Attu. Due to fog and poor maps 1-17 IN did not seize HILL X on 11 May 1943 as planned. 1-17 IN seized HILL X on the afternoon of 12 My 1943 after a deliberate attack supported by 105 mm artillery, Naval gunfire, and close air support from F4F- 4s, from the USS Nassau, dropping 100-pound Daisey Cutter bombs and conducting strafing runs. 1-17 IN along with the 3rd BN 32nd Infantry (3-32 IN) conducted follow operations into Holtz Bay from 13 May to 18 May 1943 clearing enemy positions. PVT Moskin’s date of death indicates he took part in the actions to capture HILL X and the offensive operations into Hotlz Bay. The battle of Attu lasted from 11 May to 29 May 1943. The original plan called for a three to four-day operation. The battle took 18 days and was ended in a climatic banzai charge led by the Japanese Commander COL Yamazaki out of Chicagof Harbor/ Attu Village area.

PVT Moskin died on 13 May 1943 on Attu Island in the Alaska Territory. PVT Moskin is buried at Ahavath Tora Cemetery, Saddle Brook NJ. PVT Moskin was originally interned at the Holtz Bay Cemetery on Attu in May of 1943 and was later disinterred with all the other US Military and known Japanese WW II casualties. No records of awards for PVT Moskin were located. PVT Moskin is qualified for the Purple Heart Medal. PVT Galante would have qualified for the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) for his actions on Attu, but he was killed in action prior to the issue of the award in November of 1943.

This story was written by Dennis V. Dupras of Alaska. This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smart phone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave.com

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/168860803/sidney-moskin

US WW II Draft Card

https://www.ancestryinstitution.com/imageviewer/collections/2238/images/44025_11_00029-02462?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&queryId=3debd788aad3f4f4f963b37f8b59ec7b&usePUB=true&_phsrc=OtU1199&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&pId=301483054

Bergen Record 10 July 1943 p 7

https://www.newspapers.com/image/489569736/?terms=Sidney%2BMoskin

US Army WW II Enlistment Record

https://search.ancestryinstitution.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=8939&h=7876446&tid=&pid=&queryId=7762042fc12de01ebafecefef35941a5&usePUB=true&_phsrc=OtU1200&_phstart=successSource

US 1940 Census

https://www.ancestryinstitution.com/imageviewer/collections/2442/images/m-t0627-02373-00452?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&queryId=7762042fc12de01ebafecefef35941a5&usePUB=true&_phsrc=OtU1201&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&pId=133382918

National Jewish Welfare Board Card

https://www.ancestryinstitution.com/imageviewer/collections/2125/images/31682_B010203-00499?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&queryId=7762042fc12de01ebafecefef35941a5&usePUB=true&_phsrc=OtU1203&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&pId=81594

US Army WW II Hospital Admission Card

https://search.ancestryinstitution.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=61817&h=4782656&tid=&pid=&queryId=7762042fc12de01ebafecefef35941a5&usePUB=true&_phsrc=OtU1205&_phstart=successSource

US Rosters of WW II Dead

https://www.ancestryinstitution.com/imageviewer/collections/1102/images/WW2_6362388__0168_B_04-0782?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&queryId=4b207e72dd5e23dc0d0cad63f8d22c8f&usePUB=true&_phsrc=OtU1210&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&pId=225105