Mt. Pleasant Township man, World War II veteran 'humbled' by dedication
The celebration dedicating a 4-mile section of Route 981 in Mt. Pleasant and Unity townships in honor of World War II veteran James P. Takitch was almost too much for the old sailor, who was the center of attention at the ceremonies in the tiny village of United.
“I am humbled. I never expected this. This honor is not for me alone, but for all who served our country,” the 90-year-old Takitch told a gathering of more than 70 family and friends.
He spoke at ceremonies held inside the social hall at St. Florian's Church, across the street from where he lives.
Takitch, a member of what has been dubbed “America's greatest generation,” was honored by the state for his service in the Navy with the dedication of the James Paul Takitch Honorary Highway.
Takitch lives along that stretch of the highway, from Kecksburg Road in Norvelt to the intersection of Route 130 in the village of Pleasant Unity. Signs designating the highway in his honor will be placed at the former Hurst High School, from which Takitch graduated in June 1944, and in Pleasant Unity.
Sitting in a wheelchair, Takitch remembered his fellow shipmates on the USS Kidd, a destroyer that was attacked off the coast of Japan on April 11, 1945, by a Japanese plane making a kamikaze attack.
Standing watch aboard the ship, he saw an approaching plane and then was hit in the jaw and hip, apparently from a bomb that the plane was carrying.
Thirty-eight sailors were killed, and Takitch was among the 55 who were wounded. He was found alive amidst three dead sailors, according to his son, James M. Takitch.
“On that day, he had help from the man upstairs, and the cat (with nine lives),” said his lone surviving brother, Charles Takitch. The two brothers were among eight sons and five girls.
Takitch, who grew up in nearby Hecla, spent several months in the hospital recuperating and was discharged from the Navy in December 1945.
Takitch closed his remarks by reciting a quote from President John F. Kennedy, who was a Navy hero for his service in the war.
“I can imagine no more rewarding a career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: I served in the United States Navy.”
Takitch, the son of a coal mine foreman, said he was drafted in September 1944, a few months after graduating from high school. He got into the Navy almost by accident, he said, because at his physical in Pittsburgh, he was given the option of selecting his service after 13 men in front of him were simply stamped with the word “Army” on the wrist. Takitch said he selected the Navy because his older brother, Edward, had been in the Navy since 1932.
Takitch, who at times asked speakers to slow down so he could hear them better, quipped that he was 18 when he went into the Navy and 18 when the war was over for him.
After returning home from the war, he returned to a job at the former Robertshaw Controls and then worked at Westinghouse Electric Corp.'s Cheswick plant in Harmar, from where he retired. He and his wife of 68 years, Betty, have two sons, James and Thomas.
Takitch was honored through the efforts of a neighbor, Republican state Rep. Mike Reese, who sponsored the bill designating that section of Route 981 in honor of Takitch. Gov. Tom Wolf signed the bill this spring, Reese said.
Takitch truly represents one of the greatest generations our country has ever known, Reese said.
“My very sincere hope is that future generations that pass these (road) signs ... and they ask for who it was named, they will in turn appreciate the sacrifices of so many Americans who played a role in our history,” Reese said.
Joe Napsha is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-836-5252 or jnapsha@tribweb.com.
