They were proud to serve

Three of Eli and Mary Tsvetanoff's five sons still live in the Youngstown area.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- "Before we die, we want people to know how proud the five Tsvetanoff brothers were to serve in our country's military during World War II," Jordan Tsvetanoff said.
All five sons of Eli and Mary Tsvetanoff survived the war, and three -- Jordan and Boris Tsvetanoff, and Cyril Tanoff (he changed his name), are alive and still live in the Youngstown area.
Jordan, 77, of Youngstown, and Cyril, 76, of New Middletown, talked last week about their war experiences and life after the war. Boris, 78, of Youngstown, was ill and did not participate in the interview.
Peter and Alexander are deceased, as are the brothers' three sisters, Mary, Anna and Pauline.
Peter served in the Marine Corps' 4th Division in the South Pacific, fighting on Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima, and witnessed the American flag being raised on Mount Seribachi. That moment in time was photographed and became the famous World War II Marine Corps monument.
Shrapnel wounds
While the flag was being raised, though, the Japanese opened up with everything they had, and Peter received shrapnel wounds in his back and legs before diving under vehicles for protection. He received the Purple Heart and carried the shrapnel all his life, Jordan said.
Alexander, a graduate of Duquesne University's School of Pharmacy, was a pharmacist in the Army-Air Force Medical Corps and served in the states.
Jordan, who married the former Stella Gibbons of Youngstown in 1944 before he went overseas, was in the Navy aboard an LSM (landing ship medium) that transported personnel. He is a 1943 graduate of Campbell Memorial High School.
"I followed Pete to the islands in the Pacific but never saw him," Jordan said.
Cyril, who graduated in 1944 from Campbell High School, served stateside as an aircraft mechanic. He was discharged after the war and worked at his father's restaurant, Eli's Cafe at 9 Short St. in Campbell, for a while before going back into the Army in 1947. He was a member of the 11th Airborne, then the 187th Airborne serving in a combat zone in Korea.
Cyril, married to the former Linn Fredrickson of Youngstown, went to Youngstown State University to study education. He was a teacher at West Elementary, Volney Rogers Junior High School and Chaney High School, before retiring in 1982, and then taught in the Department of Defense dependents schools for six years in Germany. He was also a part-time supervisor of student teachers for YSU.
Boris studied chemical engineering at YSU and retired as a carpet buyer for Sears Roebuck and Co. He is married to the former Mary Garasky of Youngstown and lives in Youngstown.
Jordan worked at Commercial Shearing after the war, got laid off, and worked in auto body shops for 20 years, before going back to Commercial Intertech and retiring in 1984. He then worked part time at Boardman Community Care Center.
Wrote to his wife
Jordan said none of the brothers, or his parents, wrote a lot of letters to one another while they were in the service. He did write often to his wife, though.
"I have a duffel bag full of letters she wanted to throw away because she was worried the kids would read our love letters. I told her no way, those are my memories," Jordan said.
Cyril said his mother didn't write often, but she was terribly worried about her sons. At the time, Pete and Jordan were in the Pacific and Boris was in England.
"She really didn't want me to go," Cyril said.
Every time she heard a newscast about the war, she was so weak with fear she literally could not stand up, Cyril said with tears in his eyes.
It is a great source of satisfaction to Jordan and Cyril that all five brothers served.
"How many families in the world have five brothers in the same war all at once," Jordan said.
"Even though we know it's not 100 percent perfect, we're proud to be Americans. And, if we were able to, we'd do it all again," Cyril said.
alcorn@vindy.com