“The Fighting Hubans” That inscription on a stone at Monessen War Memorial represents eight brothers who served their country during World War II. Charles and Sofia Hubans saw all eight of their sons go off to battle in the early 1940s. A devout couple, along with their only daughter, Mary, they prayed twice daily until all eight boys returned safely from some of the war’s deadliest fighting in the European and Pacific campaigns. A flag with eight blue stars, blessed by the Rev. Theodore Geeza, of St. John the Divine Russian Orthodox Church, hung in the Hubans’ Moffit Street home. It was a gift from the Federated Russian Orthodox Clubs. Charles and Sofia, immigrant Russians, were recognized as the only parents to have eight sons serve concurrently in World War II. Five of the eight, Michael, John, Charles, Milton and Frank, were recently enrolled in the National Army Museum Registry of the American Soldiers by Jamie Hubans, granddaughter of Kathleen Hubans of Monessen and the late Staff Sgt. John Hubans. She is the Army Historical Foundation’s Director of Publications and Marketing Services. Paul Hubans served in the Marines and his brothers, Stephen and Alex, joined the Navy. Only the latter three are still living and were together a few weeks ago when Stephen’s daughter, Marcy, and her husband, Mike Hall, hosted a party for Paul’s 86th birthday. Stephen and the Halls reside in the McKeesport area. Paul lives in Florida and Alex, in Uniontown. John’s widow, Kathleen, who still resides in Monessen, has been helping her granddaughter gather material for her publication, “Call to Duty.” Milton’s son, Milton Jr., who lives in Carroll Township, also has a collection of memorabilia from the early 1940s. He supplied the photo of the eight brothers.

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