853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion

853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion The 853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion was formed on 1 January 1943 at Dyersburg Army Air Base, Tennessee under the command of Major Alexander J. Frolich.

This page is designed to further the appreciation of the significant contributions of the 853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion, celebrate her members who served in the CBI Theater during WWII, and connect with next of kin of the men of the 853rd. Even before they entered combat overseas, the battalion faced significant obstacles here at home including being called upon to repair broken levees on the

Mississippi River during the 1943 flood. As aviation engineers, their primary duty was to build runways for bombers of the XX (20th) Air Force throughout the Assam Region of India supporting missions flown over 'the Hump' into China. However, before they were positioned in India, the 853rd was decimated as the troopship they were on in the Mediterranean Sea, the HMT Rohna, was struck by a guided bomb. In the first few minutes of the attack more than 400 of the 793 men in the battalion were killed. Those who survived the initial bombing were not necessarily 'lucky' as they were then sent into frigid oil-drenched waters praying for the rescue ships that very few of them would actually live to see. In the end, they sustained losses of approximately 62%. The battalion was replenished in North Africa and then moved to India where they would serve until redeployment in the latter months of 1945, arriving in New York on 4 Jan 1946. This virtual museum is designed to tell their stories, to present artifacts from the museum's private collection, to give access to archival data, and even to provide closure to families who never knew what their relatives did during the war, or what happened to them on the Rohna.

05/14/2026
05/13/2026

In Albany, NY, the museum setup was amazing. Thank you to the families who brought artifacts, photos, insignia, records, posters, and other info for the attendees to review. It was great to see those who honestly had very little understanding of the items, the Rohna sinking, and the magnitude of the event, ask such great questions and educate themselves on this tragic moment in history. Here is a short video of the display. Pictures of other displays were posted in yesterday's update.

Today was a very humbling, but important day in the life of the 853rd and the Rohna Organization. Thank you to Deputy Sp...
05/13/2026

Today was a very humbling, but important day in the life of the 853rd and the Rohna Organization. Thank you to Deputy Speaker Philip Ramos and his team for the hard work to put this on and have the resolution read on the Assembly floor with a very warm welcome.

The day started a little chaotic with a change of rooms and a change of start time for the legislative session. This put many of us in an awkward place as we were not fully prepared for the schedule shifts, and some of our guests were left scrambling. But, what started auspicious, ended well with two proclamations (one in honor of our last survivor, Mr. Robert Firstman, who recent passed at 103, and the other to the Rohna Survivors Memorial Association, whose efforts help families gain clarity on this tragic event in US Military history).

We then viewed Rohna Classified and did a very well-received Q&A. After which, Ramos took Jack Ballo (Filmmaker) and Jason Markiewitz (Pres. TRSMA) to the TV studio for a 15-min interview on "Assembly Today."

I am grateful for all the families who attended, for the 853rd families I was able to meet for the first time, and for the continued value in telling the tale of the Rohna.

I will post more pictures when we get them from the team. For now, here are a few shots I took today. Please feel free to add your own if you were there!

~Col Markiewitz

Family of the 853rd have shown up in force for the NY State Resolution with 13 known family members spanning CA to NY. ...
05/11/2026

Family of the 853rd have shown up in force for the NY State Resolution with 13 known family members spanning CA to NY. I look forward to making a connection and hopefully adding more to our membership here. Connecting with family members is critical to our mission.

Family Members are here for the following 853rd Personnel:
- LTC Alexander Frolich (Battalion Commander)
- MAJ Louis G. Coakley (Company "A" CC, later the BN XO)
- 1LT William G. Brown (Platoon Officer, Company "A")
- SGT Robert Dankert (Platoon Sergeant, Company "C")
- SGT Louis Markiewitz (Platoon Sergeant, Company "C")

If any were missed, I will be sure to update the list at registration.

05/10/2026

In a few hours, I'll be flying to NY to attend the HMT Rohna State Proclamation and Resolution Event, as well as serve as a panelist following the showing of Rohna Classified! This is an historic event, and only the third such state resolution made in the 33 years following declassification (WA and TN were the others). In my capacity as the TRSMA President, I will be leading the delegation onto the Assembly floor on May 12 where Deputy Speaker Phil Ramos will read the resolution into the record.

It also warms my heart to meet up with fellow descendants of the "OG" 853rd members: Brian Dankert (Grandson of 853rd SGT Robert Dankert) and Karen Strong (Granddaughter of 853rd CO, LTC AJ Frolich). It will be wonderful to connect on such a key piece of our family history.

I will post pictures and video on this page after the event is concluded. The NY Capitol will have an A/V team also taking video so we should have some great images for everyone to view.

After nearly 8 years, the Rohna Classified film has been picked up by PBS and will be available online and soon to be in...
05/06/2026

After nearly 8 years, the Rohna Classified film has been picked up by PBS and will be available online and soon to be in more than 50 markets nationwide including LA, NY, and Philadelphia.

The 853rd lost 64% of our number in this fateful event, and accounted for more than half of the total killed in action with 509 of the 1,015 American servicemen who perished.

This film is beautifully done and expertly edited. The narration is perfect and it will resonate with WWII history buffs as well as new students alike. We hope you give it a watch!

Rohna Classified PBS Stations

05/01/2026

At the annual HMT Rohna Reunion and all set up! The traveling museum has already been a hit!

We're getting ready to represent the battalion at the HMT Rohna Reunion in San Antonio, TX this weekend. This will be th...
04/28/2026

We're getting ready to represent the battalion at the HMT Rohna Reunion in San Antonio, TX this weekend. This will be the first reunion where we will have "audio histories" at the display table, bringing a new way of getting "living history" to the attendees.

When you access the QR codes on these placards, you will hear an audio clip to give some battalion-specific history. For this reunion we're breaking out the first 3: A Survivor's Story, The Purple Heart, and The M-1926 Lifebelt.

ANNOUNCEMENT: We have confirmation that the NY Assembly Resolution in honor of the men of the Rohna will be on Tuesday, ...
03/22/2026

ANNOUNCEMENT: We have confirmation that the NY Assembly Resolution in honor of the men of the Rohna will be on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. Registration information will be coming out soon and we all hope the weather will not be a factor this time! Stay tuned for more information on the agenda for the day.

If you registered previously, we will be in touch regarding any requirement to re-register. At least we will reach out to confirm you are still planning to attend. TRSMA will be hosting a traveling museum, Rohna Classified will be screening the film, and of course we will have the formal event in the chamber.

More information is coming soon.

Online Screening of Rohna Classified this week only!! Admission is only $10! Funds raised will go toward distribution an...
01/31/2026

Online Screening of Rohna Classified this week only!! Admission is only $10! Funds raised will go toward distribution and getting it into PBS markets across the US. It runs 56 min and is well worth the watch.

For any new to this page, the 853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion was the largest unit aboard the Rohna when it was sunk on Nov 26, 1943. More than 62% of the battalion was lost in the attack. This documentary looks at the sinking through the lives of two soldiers, one casualty and one survivor, and uses first-hand accounts, interviews, experts, and painstaking research to tell the story. You don't want to miss it!

Join our virtual film event to help bring Rohna Classified to a national television broadcast. This documentary is a non-profit production financed primarily by family members and friends of the soldiers who were on the Rohna. The distribution journey is our final hurdle in honoring the forgotten so...

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