29th Division

John Polyniak, a World War II veteran who landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day and later was severely wounded during the battle for St. Lo, died June 7 of heart failure at the Encore at Turf Valley assisted-living facility in Ellicott City. Mr. Polyniak's death at 92 came 67 years and a day after he stormed ashore in France with his comrades of Company C, 116th Infantry, of the 29th Division, in the first frenetic predawn moments of the D-Day invasion. "This was a big day in my life," he wrote in an unpublished account of the invasion.

The man never talked much anyway, the boy knew, and his mom told him that when his dad got back from his tour of duty in World War II, he spoke even less. That didn't bother young Joe Balkoski so much as leave him in a state of puzzlement. "When a full sentence came out of my father's mouth, it was an occasion," says Balkoski today. "He was just a quiet, reserved guy. You rarely knew what he was thinking." Maybe that's why it made such an impact on Joe - at age 8, in 1962 - when Dad corralled him one day in their New York City apartment to take him to the movies.

After nearly a century, Maryland's venerable 110th Field Artillery will soon fade into the history books. Its colors will be furled for the last time in a solemn military deactivation ceremony that is open to the public and begins at 10 a.m. Saturday at its headquarters at the Pikesville Armory, 610 Reisterstown Road. The unit, which traces its heritage to earlier artillery units in the Revolutionary War and the Battle of North Point during the War of 1812, is being phased out because of an Army reorganization.

SPLURGE OF THE WEEK DOG DAY CARE Next Sunday, the Maryland Kennel Club All Breed Dog Show takes place at the Fifth Regiment Armory, 219 W. 29th Division St. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ...................... The Inspirations page rotates among four weekly themes: fashion, gardening, home and body. Send suggestions to harry.merritt@baltsun.com.

On July 19, 2005 BETTY H. HERKLOTZ (nee Traey); beloved wife of the late Richard Herklotz "Herk"; loving sister of Leona Murdoff. Also survived by many loving family members. Betty worked as a secretary for the National Guard for 35 years and also was a volunteer in the 29th division of the association, for many years. A Catholic Prayer Service will be held at the Connelly Funeral Home of Essex, 300 Mace Avenue, Saturday 10 A.M. Interment Lake View Cemetery. Visiting hours Friday, 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 P.M.

Henry Gilmore Hughes, an Army veteran of World War II and a retired supervisor at Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. died Monday of undetermined causes in Oak Crest Village. He was 89 and had lived in Lutherville for 50 years before moving to Oak Crest Village in 1996. Born in Branchville, his family was originally from Harford County, and Mr. Hughes was a descendant of John Hall Hughes, a Revolutionary War officer and farmer. Mr. Hughes was a 1934 graduate of Forest Park High School in Baltimore and attended the McCoy Evening College of the Johns Hopkins University.

Services for H. Kenneth Mackey, a retired Cecil County Circuit Court judge, will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Hicks Home for Funerals in Elkton.Judge Mackey died Sunday at Christiana Hospital in Stanton, Del., of respiratory failure. He was 71.Born in Wilmington, Del., Judge Mackey lived in Cecil County all his life. He graduated from Elkton High School and enlisted in the National Guard's Company E, 29th Division, in 1941.He then attended Officer Candidate School and graduated as a chemical warfare officer.

On July 6, 2005, LEONARD F. VIERS, 2nd Day D-Day Veteran, served with the 29th Division of the US Army and retired from Harry T. Campbell after 38 years of service, beloved husband of Luwanda Dixon Viers, loving father of Eugene and Wanda Len Viers. Also survived by four sisters, and three brothers. The family will receive friends in the LEMMON FUNERAL HOME OF DULANEY VALLEY INC., 10 W. Padonia Road (at York Road) Timonium-Cockeysville on Friday, 7 to 9 P.M. Funeral services will be celebrated in the Particular Primitive Baptist Church at Black Rock, Falls and Butler Roads on Saturday, July 9, at 11 A.M. Interment the adjoining cemetery.