Syracuse Herald-Journal, February 19, 1942
Determined to fight for Uncle Sam as he did in the ring for Syracuse University when he won the Eastern Intercollegiate championship, Americo M. Woyciesjes, 26, of Gere’s Lock, Solvay, will enlist in the Marine Corps tomorrow.

The sturdy 175-pound boxer enlisted last year as an aviation cadet in the Army Air Corps but failed to meet rigid requirements and was honorably discharged.

Undaunted by his run of hard luck, Woyciesjes determined he was going to do his bit. He had already passed the Marine Corps physical requirements and tomorrow will be enlisted and leave for Parris Island, South Carolina, and training as a leatherneck.

Syracuse Herald-Journal, April 5, 1943

By Sgt. ARTHUR E. MIELKE
Marine Corps combat correspondent

Somewhere in the South Pacific — A two-fisted boxing champion who battled the Japanese several months on Guadalcanal is the proud owner of a display of 200 rare butterflies which he collected on that jungle island.

Private First Class Americo M. Woyciesjes, USMC, of Gere’s Lock, RFD, Solvay, New York, three-time winner of the Eastern Intercollegiate 175-pound boxing title, says little about his Jap-fighting, likes to talk about boxing, and will wax positively enthusiastic in any conversation about butterfly collecting.

While most Guadalcanal Marines used their spare moments for resting or writing letters, Private Woyciesjes was beating the jungle with his improvised net — a mosquito head net and a piece of wire — and a rifle.

The rifle was for Japs, the net for butterflies. His 200 rare specimens may some day bear the specific name “Guadalcanal Woyciesjesensis,” his friends say.

The Marine fighter-collector won his boxing titles in 1939, 1940 and 1941 while a student at Syracuse University, where he studied entomology in the College of Forestry. He captained the boxing team in his senior year.

He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter W. Woyciesjes. Two brothers also are in the service — Michael, a first lieutenant in the Army Air Force, and John, a petty officer in the Navy.

Syracuse Herald-Journal, May 12, 1944
CAPE GLOUCESTER, New Britain — Marine Sgt. Americo M. Woyciesjes has received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for heroism on a secret mission.

The presentation of the award was made by Maj. Gen. William H. Rumpertus, commanding general of the Camp Gloucester forces.

The story of Sgt. Woyciesjes’ feat must be withheld for awhile, until it will no longer benefit the enemy. However, he has mailed the medal to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Woyciesjes, Gere’s Lock, RD 1, Solvay.

Syracuse Herald-American,, July 16, 1944

By LAWRENCE J. SKIDDY
Sports Editor

As a Marine, Americo Woyciesjes of Gere’s Lock, Syracuse University’s dynamic boxing star of 1938, 1939 and 1940, has made as fine a fighting record as he did when an Orange athlete.

Sgt. Woyciesjes, home for a 30-day furlough after two years of service in the South Pacific, leaves after his holiday to enter Officers Candidate School before going back to the war against Japan, in the Pacific Islands, where his brother, Lieut. Michael Woyciesjes is still on duty.

On his chest Americo wears ribbons which show a presidential unit citation, a personal citation from Vice Admiral Kincaid, the Navy and Marine Corps medal as well as stars to show participation in four major battles and two important campaigns.

The former college boxing champion hasn’t had a glove on his hands during two and a half years service in the Marine Corps and doesn’t intend to box again. He has his Syracuse University degree, but he plans to go to college for two more years, taking a refresher course and seeking a master’s degree. Then he’ll look for a job on a high school faculty as a science teacher. He’d coach athletes, too, if asked.

Sgt. Woyciesjes enlisted in the Marine Corps in February, 1942 and trained at Parris Island and at New River before being sent overseas. He was one of the first to land on Guadalcanal, taking part in the seizure battles and remaining on duty for the occupational and defense battles, being taken “off the Canal” in mid-December, 1942, for a long stay in rest camp.

He had some time off duty during his rest camp period and where do you think he went for the holiday? Back to Guadalcanal for a visit his brother, Lieut. Michael Woyciesjes, who had been assigned there soon after Americo was taken off.

In July of 1943 he went back into action, fighting on New Britain in the Cape Gloucester campaign. It was for valor in the Cape Gloucester fighting that he received Adm. Kincaid’s citation.

While in the South Pacific, Woyciesjes, who collects butterflies as a hobby, rounded up 1,000 different specimens. His collection is in storage for him in a foreign city. After the war he hopes to use the collection in lecturing to science students.

The main change in Woyciesjes, as compared with his college days, is the fact that he enjoys cigarette smoking. He never smoked until he went into the Marine Corps.

While in battle areas, Woyciesjes says most of his buddies were men he met in the service, but he did run across two Central New Yorkers. Of these Joe Chesneski was a pal at high school in Solvay and the other was a Marine named Lynch from East Syracuse. Americo knew him as Lynch in Syracuse and used that name on Guadalcanal. He never thought to ask Lynch his first name.

“Things like first names do not bother you up in the battle area,” he said. “You hang a nickname on your pal and it sticks. I never have, or never will think of this fine friend except as Lynch.”

Woyciesjes is happy to be selected for OCS, but is quick to add that he is delighted he traveled the hard way in getting the chance.

He was in the big contingent of Marine brought home to America in late June and one of the first things he did on reaching land after sending word to his mother in Gere’s Lock, that he had arrived, was to attempt to reach Lieut. Com. Roy D. Simmons by telephone.

Simmons was his boxing coach at Syracuse University and one of his finest friends. He learned that the coach had been shifted to Minneapolis, but hopes to see him, for at least a handshake, before he eventually goes back to the Pacific for duty.

“We have a long, hard fight ahead of us, but we are gaining with each passing day,” Woyciesjes said.

“I hate to miss any part of it and I certainly expect to be back in it. Right now I am worrying more about a good rest than anything else. Service life has been wonderful and I love it and will always have fond memories of it. But there’s no place like home.”

Syracuse Herald-Journal, September 17, 1944
A veteran of 42 missions against the Japanese in the South Pacific, including the first “strike” against Truk, Capt. Michael Woyciesjes of Gere’s Lock, RD 1, Solvay, is home for a rest before getting back into action.

His 42 missions represent some 69,300 miles of combat flying — all done in four-engined Liberators.

The 22-year-old bombardier, looking several years younger than his age, had numerous harrowing experiences.

He has gone through several crash landings in the Pacific, faced as many as 40 Japanese fighter planes, has had three of the four engines on his ship “conk out” and has flown through flak “so thick you could walk on it.”

He bears no scars of battle, considers himself lucky to be alive, let alone being home, and reports that despite the flak and mishaps, the bombing record always was “very good.”

A son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Woyciesjes, Capt. Woyciesjes, as squadron bombardier, flew in the lead ship of his squadron on any number of “strikes” or raids.

He holds the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with six bronze Oak Leaf Clusters and a silver cluster; a Presidential unit citation and battle ribbons for the Asiatic and Pacific theaters. The battle ribbons cover the North Solomons, Central Pacific, Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea and the Japanese Mandate campaigns.

On one occasion, he said, the ships were returning from a strike over Biak last May 24 when his No. 4 engine quit.

“We were 180 miles from our base,” Capt. Woyciesjes said, “and less than a minute later No. 2 started throwing oil and lost her pulling power. This was followed by the No. 3 motor. All we had left was No. 1 and we began to lose altitude.

“We flew at a 10-degree list and others in the squadron saw us going down and radioed the home field of our trouble. The field was alerted and a big “Dumbo” or Catalina flying boat was readied to pick us up at sea as soon as we crashed.

“We got down to 400 feet above the water and held at that altitude. How, none of us ever knew. The Lord was with us every inch of the way back. We just barely limped in and was there a reception committee at the field on hand to greet us! Everybody turned out, for they had been sweating out our mission with us.”

They had “shipped” over the side every piece of equipment to lighten the big Liberator and, as a last resort, took an ax and hacked off the tail turret and top gun turret.

A member of the 13th Air Force, Capt. Woyciesjes was on the first strike against the great Japanese base at Truk, March 29. This was followed by two other raids, March 29 and April 14.

“We ran into the Jap first team there,” the blond captain said, “and they were pretty good, but not good enough.”

One Jap fighter made a suicide pass at his squadron in the fighting.

Capt. Woyciesjes stopped in for a chat yesterday with Lieut. Michael Siegel, president of the Aviation Cadet Selection Board, to tell him how glad he is that he enlisted in this branch of the service. He signed up here January 18, 1942, and went overseas May 19, 1943.

“There were few dull moments from then on,” Capt. Woyciesjes told Lieut. Siegel, and then recalled for him one of the tougher missions.

“It was on August 30 last year,” the captain said, “during a strike over Kahila. The flak was heavier than usual and there was plenty of aerial opposition. We wound up with 55 flak holes in our ship and two Zeros made passes and left a trail of fifteen 7.7 caliber bullet holes down the fuselage. Yet not a one in the crew was hit and the plane was not disabled.”

On another day they had just unloaded their bombs over Rabaul and were on their way back to their base at Guadalcanal.

For some reason they never discovered they lost all their gasoline. That was last January 7. They stretched their glide over the Pacific as long as possible and finally made a crash landing a half mile off Rob Roy Island in the Solomons group. They knew the adjoining island was alive with Japs. The Liberator floated for 10 minutes and in that time they got their rubber life-rafts out and loaded them with rations, knives and their radio equipment and struck out for shore.

At 7 a.m. the next morning they sighted a B-25 and shot a flare into the sky. The pilot saw the flare, spotted them and dropped some food and radioed their position to his base. At 10:30 a “Dumbo” set its hulk down on the Jap waters and they were rescued.

“I can’t speak too highly for those Dumbo pilots,” he said. “They just go right in and rescue a fellow no matter how close the enemy may be.”

A list of the missions he was on, many of them duplicated time and again until the enemy was “pulverized,” includes strikes at Kahili, Kara, Ballalae, Buka, Rabaul, the Boni Islands, Rekata Bay, Satawan, Maknes, Biak, Yap and Woleal.

Their permanent and temporary bases were moved as the conquest of the Japs increased. First his outfit was based in the New Hebrides, then on Guadalcanal, next on Munda, temporarily at Bougainville and Green Island, then on the Admiralty Islands and Los Negros.

While at Guadalcanal, Capt. Woyciesjes ran into his brother, Sgt. Americo Woyciesjes, then serving with the First Marine Division. He is now attending the Corps officer candidate school. The captain also met a friend of the family, Lieut. Irene Giba of the Army Nurse Corps. A neighbor, Sgt. Edward Kasimir, was in his squadron.

Capt. Woyciesjes left the Admiralty Islands September 7, flying back to the United States. He arrived in San Francisco September 9 and reached home September 11. He leaves October 7 for the redistribution center at Atlantic City.

Syracuse Herald-American, October 28, 1945
Announcement is made by Mr. and Mrs. Andrew H. Sembrat, 710 Tully Street, of the marriage of their daughter, Miss Mary Sembrat, to Lieut. Americo M. Woyciesjes, USMC. The ceremony was performed in St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church October 14 at 2 o’clock by the Rev. Michael Kuziw. A reception followed in the home of the bride’s parents. The bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Woyciesjes of Gere’s Lock, RFD1, Solvay.

The bride was attended by her cousins, Miss Dorothy Husak as maid of honor and Miss Mary Husak as bridesmaid. Michael M. Woyciesjes, the bridegroom’s brother, who served as an Army bombardier, was best man. Michael Sembrat, a former paratrooper, was usher.

The bride will live with her parents when the bridegroom reports to his base in Quantico, Virginia. He expects to be released from service in about two months. He served overseas in several major engagements.

Michael was a lifelong naturalist. He spent his summers in the Adirondacks at his camp. He was an expert entomologist, having collected specimens from around the world since the age of 11. He was a past member of the CNY Orchid Society and CNY Astronomical Society, a gifted stained glass artist and an avid gardener. He instilled his life-long passion for the arts and sciences in his children and grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his loving wife of 39 years, Dorothy (Husak) Woyciesjes. He is survived by his children, Michaelyn (Charles) Featherly, Patricia (John) Harmon, Peter (Deborah) Woyciesjes, Theodora Salcedo, Helen (Chris) Buonocore, and Stephanie Woyciesjes; 10 grandchildren, Michael (Janette) Auchampau, Griffin (Amy) Harmon, Jenica and Samantha Harmon, Erik and Alek Woyciesjes, Andres and Sofia Salcedo, Matthew and Jacob Buonocore; and many loved nieces and nephews.

Syracuse American, January 6, 1935
The Syracuse wing’s membership is zooming along, and increasing at such a rapid rate that the next few months should see this Junior Birdmen unit ahead of some of those whose are leading us now.

By the middle of last week we had 2,111 boys and girls enrolled, an increase of about 500 since the middle of November.

Three more flight squadron groups were recently chartered by your local wing headquarters. One is at Sherburne, one at Verona Station and one at Solvay.

The Solvay squadron is headed by Americo Woyciesjes, whose address is Gere's Lock, RFD 1, Solvay. His members are Michael Woyciesjes, Michael Danko, John Danko, Frank Santulli, Mike Santulli, Jerry Santulli, John Fiust.

Syracuse Journal, March 2, 1935
The flight squadron recently chartered by Americo Woyciesjes of Solvay has been christened the Blackhawk Squadron, and the group is starting off in great shape by making definite plans for model building work.
The first report sent to your wing commander reads in part:

“Last Sunday we had our first meeting. I took the squadron to the airport, where we spent most of the afternoon looking over the planes and watching them take off and land. I demonstrated with a Waco biplane,, showing the boys the movements of the ailerons and rudder.

“When we reached home I called the meeting to order. All the members were present. We decided to have meetings every two weeks, with 10 cents as monthly dues.

“We had election of officers at this meeting. Michael Danko was elected captain, Frank Santulli sergeant-at-arms, and Michael Woyciesjes, treasurer. I chose a proficiency committee consisting of Michael Danko,, Michael Woyciesjes and myself. We discussed plans for making model airplanes to enter in coming events. Up to this time we have only collected pictures of airplanes, pilots and air terms.”