Antolak, Sylvester, born 10-09-1918, on the family farm in St. Clairsville Antolak, 
to Polish immigrants in St Clairsville, Ohio, where he was the youngest son of Teofil Antolak (1870–1934) and Mary Catherine Antolak (1876–1978). 
Sylvester had three brotheres and 1 sister: Alex J Antolak (1911–1988), Stanley Joseph Antolak (1913–2005), George Antolak (1914–1996) and Anna K. Antolak Kogut (1920–2014). Sylvester enlisted in the U.S. Army 
from his hometown in 1941. He served in the European theater of World War II as a platoon leader with 1st Platoon, Company B of the 15th Infantry Regiment 
, 3rd Infantry Division 
under command of Major General Charles F. Thompson 
Soldiers of the 3d Ranger Battalion board LCIs 
that will take them to Anzio. Two weeks later, nearly all would be killed or captured at Cisterna 
The casualties of the 3 Infantry Division total battle casualties: 25,977, killed in action: 4,922, wounded in action: 18,766, missing in action: 554, prisoner of war: 1,735.
Knowing the imminent destruction that lay ahead of his men if the Germans should successfully isolate them, Sylvester Antolak rose from his cover and charged, with his submachine gun under his arm. The enemy was about 200 yards away, across an open field raked by gunfire. Antolak’s sudden appearance made him an easy target for a concentrated enemy attack. But he ran across it anyway, with his men trailing behind.
Death was all over the place as machine guns, machine-pistols and rifles screamed from enemy positions. Before long the withering strike of automatic fire hit Antolak for the first time, sending him flat upon the field with a wounded shoulder. But Sergeant Antolak didn’t stay down. He surged back onto to his feet and continued his charge towards the enemy machine gun nest. He fell again to the enemy’s rattling guns, and again, he surged back to his feet. 
Antolak’s moment of heroism came during an Allied offensive near Cisterna, Italy. The Allies had intended to burst through a formidable German line of defense around the Anzio beachhead, in a bid to move toward Rome. During the offensive, the Germans turned out to be much more prepared than anticipated and had their firearms blasting in all directions. Allied casualties mounted fast as they strove to quench the overwhelming German defenses.
Three times the enemy fires struck him down, and three times he got back up, dashing right into the storm, determined to eliminate the threat. The clearly surprised Germans amped up their attack, throwing everything they had at him. When he got up the third time his right arm hung limp, shattered by the blasts.
He wedged the submachine gun under his left armpit and kept going. After he had made it over 185 yards across the open field, he opened fire on the Germans. He killed two Germans with his deadly close-range fire, and ten others quickly crawled out of their positions with their hands up, screaming “Kamerad.” Antolak’s injury was critical and in need of serious medical attention. But he paid no mind to that, with his mind occupied by the thoughts of leading his men through the steely German defense.
A cruiser was called after him, the USAT Sergant Sylvester Antolak underway, 
Death and burial ground of Antolak, Sylvester.
He reorganized his men, and again led the way as they charged towards another enemy strong point, 100 yards away. Another rain of gunfire came upon him, but he kept running, fueling his men’s bravery as they followed. He led them across sixty yards of enemy fire, but then an enemy bullet struck him down at last.
He drew his last breath as his men continued the charge, drawing from his raw fearlessness. They overwhelmed the enemy, crazed with fury. The Germans gave up, unable to halt the advance of men who had no fear for death.His unfathomable courage and devotion to the protection of his comrades were on that day written into the pages of history, to be told for generations to come.Medal of Honor recipient honored in Belmont County 
On 19-10-1945 his mother received the Medal of Honor, posthumously. 
Fewer than 3,600 Americans have received the Medal of Honor since 1861; the series highlights eight of them, and Antolak is the first.
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