Pictured is the great grandson of John T. Rakoci, Camron Lawton, and Sue Rapp, Rakoci's daughter, standing with the mess kit cover that was discovered in Belgium and sent back to Rakoci's family.

CENTER TWP — Sue Rapp has always been proud of her late father's service during World War II as a survivor of the Battle of the Bulge.

She hoped her descendants would continue that pride, but passing years can obscure important memories.

Thanks to a fortuitous event 20 years ago, Pfc. John T. Rakoci will forever remain his family's hero.

Rapp explained that in 1999, a man called her late mother to report that a museum in Belgium had a mess kit cover they had retrieved from the hallowed ground of that battle that was hand-etched with “Rakoci” and the last four digits of a military serial number.

The museum curators had researched the name and number and discovered it belonged to John T. Rakoci of West Middlesex, Mercer County.

The curators connected with a man in the U.S., who contacted Edna Rakoci, Rapp's late mother and John's widow.

Edna got in touch with the museum curator in Belgium, who asked her if she wanted the cover or if he should continue to display it in his museum.

Edna replied that she would love to have the artifact and would pay to have it shipped, but the man replied that Pfc. Rakoci has already paid for it with his courage during the Battle of the Bulge.

Rapp then took over the work of having the cover sent to her so she could take it to her mother.

This is an excerpt from a larger article that appeared in Sunday's Butler Eagle. Subscribe online or in print to read the full article and learn the history behind the mess kit cover.

John T. Rakoci