Sgt. Ernest Anthony Zablock was born in Chicago, Illinois, on October 31, 1923, to Peter Zablock and Charlotte Zaur-Zablock and had a sister and a brother. His family resided Cicero before moving to 246 South 13th Avenue, Maywood, Illinois. He attended Saint Anthony School, Cicero, Illinois, and graduated from Proviso Township High School in 1942. After high school, he worked for the Borg-Warner Company, Bellwood, Illinois.
On June 26, 1942, he registered with Selective Service and named his mother as his contact person. He was drafted into the US Army on March 31, 1943, and issued the serial number 36 743 081. It is known he trained at Camp Polk, Louisiana, at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, and at a base in Mississippi, but it is not known when he trained at each base. At some point, he became a member of B Company, 166th Combat Engineers.
What is known is that the 166th took part in the breakout out of Normandy building bridges and removing obstacles. It was also involved in the Battle of the Bulge, and the fighting in Germany. He was in Germany for the German surrender on May 8, 1945. After the surrender, his unit was stationed in Regensburg, Germany. From his Individual Deceased Personnel File, it is known that on July 4, 1945, Ernest was accidently shot in his chest by his best friend. How and why it happened is not known, but two days later on July 6, 1945, he was buried in the US Military Cemetery #1, Nurnberg, Germany. It is known that not even a year later, Ernest had been exhumed and buried at the US Military Cemetery St. Avold, France, in Plot EE, Row 1, Grave 21.
Since Ernest had died in military service, his father was considered his next-of-kin. In a letter dated November 12, 1946, his mother was told where Ernest was buried and the location of his grave in the letter. Peter Zablock was also informed that another letter would arrive with additional information on Ernest’s final burial. The letter, dated October 13, 1947, arrived and provided him with information on his options for Ernest’s final burial. He was asked to complete an enclosed form and return it to the Office of the Quartermaster General, Washington DC. The form was received by the OQMG on November 11, 1947, stating his father wanted Ernest returned to Illinois for his final burial.
Ernest was exhumed from the US Military Cemetery St. Avold and taken by train to the OIC Casketing Point, Antwerp, Belgium, arriving there on September 20, 1948. His remains were casketed and remained there until October 29th, when his casket was placed on the USAT Carroll Victory which sailed the same day. The ship arrived in the New York Port of Entry on November 16, 1948, and by train with a military escort, sent to the Quartermaster Corps Distribution Center #8, Chicago.
In a military hearse, with a military escort, his casket was taken to the Suburban Funeral Home, Maywood, Illinois on December 13, 1948. A Catholic service at the funeral home took place the next day, and Sgt. Ernest A. Zablock was buried, on December 14, 1948, in Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside, Illinois, in Grave 2, Lot 4, Block 17, Section 14.
