1LT John Nicholas Comuntzis (WWII)

Remembering 1LT John Comuntzis (Fairmont)

May 12, 1914 - September 7, 1944

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"A man more pure and bold and just, was never born on earth." -1932 Fairmont Senior High School Yearbook

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1LT John Nicholas Comuntzis (Service Number O-343115) was born in Fairmont, WV on May 12, 1914, the son of Nicholas and Cornelia (Tutulis) Comuntzis. Nicholas and Cornelia were Greek immigrants who settled in Marion County, Nicholas in 1891 and Cornelia around 1913 ("N.J. Comuntzis Dies Suddenly This Morning," The West Virginian). Their family owned a confectionary store on Adams Street in Fairmont (see "The Comuntzis Confectionary" at bottom) beginning in 1904. 

In 1919, the Comuntzis family's world was rocked when Nicholas Comuntzis died suddenly at 41 of meningitis. Cornelia was left to raise four-year-old John and three-year-old Pauline by herself.

John graduated from Fairmont Senior High School in 1932, where he played football and was a member of the Kl?ub (Trivia Club), Rifle Club, the National Honor Society, and was Vice-President of the junior class. The 1932 Maple Leaves yearbook says of John's football career, "John was a substitute center. He could always be depended upon to do his best. He worked very hard and as a result earned his letter. John graduated this year, and he will be remembered as one of the hardest workers on the squad."

He went on to attend the Carnegie Institute of Technology, now known as Carnegie Mellon University, graduating in 1936 with a degree in Civil Engineering. He was a part of the Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity.

Military Service:

John registered for selective service on October 26, 1940. At the time of registration, he was living in Kimball, WV (McDowell County) and working for the Kopper Coal Company as a Civil Engineer. John was 5'5" and 132 lbs, with blue eyes, brown hair, and dark skin.

He enlisted in the Army Air Force on January 4, 1941 and was selected to study Aeronautical Engineering at New York University. After receiving his degree, he was sent to Chanute Field and Nicholas Field in October of 1941 ("Service Deaths," Carnegie Alumnus Magazine, 1945). He was assigned to the 20th Air Base Group, 28th Material Squadron.

John was stationed in the Philippines during the fall of Manila in 1942, and was captured and imprisoned by the Japanese. According to the National Archives records, he was first recorded as being held in a Prisoner of War camp in the Philippines on May 7, 1942. 

On September 7, 1944, 1LT John Nicholas Comuntzis was on board the unmarked Shinyo Maru when it was torpedoed by an unknowing Allied submarine. The War Department sent John's mother the following information: "The vessel sailed from Davao, Mindanao, 20 Aug 1944 with 750 prisoners of war aboard. The vessel was sunk by torpedoes on 7 Sept 1944 off the western shore of Mindanao. The indications are that relatively few of the prisoners had opportunity to leave the sinking ship and of those who did, many were killed by enemy fire" (West Virginia Memory Project).

Legacy and Survivors: 

1LT John Nicholas Comuntzis was survived by his mother, Cornelia, step-father John Papageorge, and younger sister, Pauline. He is honored on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemtery and Memorial, as well as at the West Virginia Veterans Memorial in Charleston, WV. 

The Comuntzis Confectionary:

The Comuntzis Confectionary sold candy, ice cream, baked goods, and light meals. A 1916 article in The West Virginian estimated that their candy store made 100,000 pounds of candy every year ("Evening Chat"). Their original location in Fairmont opened at 330 Main Street, now known as Adams Street in 1904, but the company later moved to their final location on the corner of Adams Street and Monroe Street in 1911. Nicholas owned another in Morgantown (opened in 1909), as well as had previous locations in Cumberland and Clarksburg. 

The book An Ornament in the City details that upon Nicholas' death, Cornelia inherited the business. She sold half of her shares in the company in 1926, to local investors. The company went bankrupt after many renovations, and it was turned into another restaurant, which opened in 1928. While 200 Adams Street still stands, it was condemned in August of 2025 when the side wall began to collapse into Monroe Street.

Sources and More Information:

  • Carnegie Institute of Technology Yearbooks: 1934, 1935
  • Fairmont Senior High School Yearbooks: 1932
  • Findagrave: 1Lt John N Comuntzis
  • US Census Records: 1920, 1940, 1950 (Accessed through Ancestry)
  • West Virginia Memory Project: John Nicholas Comuntzis
  • World War II Prisoners of War Data File: John N. Comuntzis (National Archives)

Newspaper & Magazine Articles:

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