Sikora, Stephen J.

Stephen Sikora holds a special place in the hearts of the people of North Tonawanda. Besides the Post, the city of North Tonawanda named a street after the war hero, Stephen J. Sikora Drive.

Stephen was born to Frank and Stella Sikora of North Tonawanda. The Sikora family operated a bar and restaurant on 685 Oliver St. aptly named, Frank Sikora’s Restaurant. They were parishioners at Our Lady of Czestochowa Church and very active in the parish. Frank was chairman of the ground breaking committee when the new church was built and had the honor of turning the first shovel of dirt for the new building.

As a boy, Stephen was active in the church as well as Boy Scout Troop 76. Growing up on Oliver Street, he attended Felton Grammar School and North Tonawanda High School. Sikora was an excellent student and made the honor roll in high school. Following his graduation from high school, he joined the Navy in 1939.

With the outbreak of World War Two, Stephen was assigned to the USS Colhoun (DD-85) as a Machinist's Mate Second Class. In July of 1942, the Colhoun left Hawaii for Noumea, New Caledonia as part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. The Colhoun was given two responsibilities, the first was to be a high-speed transport and second as an anti submarine vessel.

On Aug. 7, 1942 with Stephen aboard, she proved herself as a highspeed transport vessel by landing the 1st Marine Raider Battalion onto the island of Tulagi in the first day of the Battle of Guadalcanal. For the rest of the Guadalcanal Campaign the Colhoun would act as a transport for the first part of the day and then in the afternoon as an anti-submarine ship.

On Aug. 30, 1942 the Colhoun ported at Kukum and unloaded supplies for the U.S. Marine Corps stationed on Guadalcanal. After she finished unloading, she went out and began her anti-submarine patrols for the day. In the afternoon, an alarm went out as Japanese aircraft were spotted.

Using the clouds for cover, the air formation targeted the USS Colhoun and dropped three bombs. Two splashed in the water, but the third “blew the after davits down and forward, blocking the after engine room hatches, and starting a fire from the diesel oil spilled by the boat”.

The crewmen attempted to return fire but the planes hid in the clouds, avoiding the return fire. The Imperial forces made a second run at the Colhoun, this time dropping five or six bombs. This attack knocked down the foremast, blew three gun mounts clear off the ship, blasted a lubrication pump in the after engine room through the bulkhead and into the forward engine room and destroyed the deck house. After this second attack the order was given to abandon ship.

There were a number of surviving and missing men and initially Stephen was only listed as MIA. For days, then weeks, the Sikoras held out hope that their son would be found safe, washed up on a beach or in a prison camp. But after a year, the Navy officially declared Stephen J. Sikora killed in action.

With this designation, Stephen Sikora became the first man from North Tonawanda killed in the War and the second to be killed from the Tonawandas; CPL Gerald W. Hamann from Tonawanda lost his life a month before Stephen in July of 1942.

On Dec. 15, 1945 American Legion Post 1322 was dedicated and selected Stephen Sikora as their “patron”. The first meetings of the Post were held in the Dom Polski on Oliver until they could secure a home of their own. In May of 1950, the post opened its new and current home at 950 Payne Ave., North Tonawanda.