Middle name derived from his father Frank Bencosky, a polish immigrant alongside his wife Genevieve R. Gonezewski-Bencosky raised three boys, Edward, Henry, and Michal. Edward, the oldest, was born on May 14, 1913 making him 26 when he was drafted at the start of the war. Henry, the middle child, was also drafted into the war on the same day at the age of 23. Michal was only 20 and does not appear on any records as having been sent to war. Before travelling to Pottsville and being processed into the military the older boys were looking for jobs as miners to follow in the footsteps of their late father. As meeting rent on Lambert street, house number 4 required money, and their widowed mother was not allowed a job, her children did not have time for relationships.