Pommel Horse Bronze Medalist Nedoroscik Has Small Tie to Evansville

During the first week of the 2024 Olympics, the Men's American Gymnastics team stepped onto the mat, and one bespectacled team member had no idea the impact he was about to make in the team competition and the individual medal round.

Massachusetts native and NCAA National pommel horse champion Stephen Nedoroscik could only sit and wait until it was his moment, maybe his only moment to shine as part of the men's team, who were seeking to medal after being shut out at the podium since 2008. The team and the "pommel horse guy" came away with the men's bronze in the team event, and a few nights later, Nedoroscik would win an individual bronze in his signature event.

But did you know Stephen's grandfather, his namesake, served in the U.S. Navy in both World War II and the Korean War? Don't worry, this is going somewhere.

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The USS LST-325 tank landing ship is now docked in Evansville and was recently docked here for tours in Owensboro. It was part of the armada that stormed Ohama Beach on D-Day in 1944. The elder Nedoroscik was 17 and was on the LST-325 that fateful day. Something I didn't know was that 167 LSTs were built in Evansville during World War II. The LST-325's last service was in Greece as part of the Hellenic Navy, named RHS-Syros in 1999.

Nedoroscik lost his grandfather last year; he was 96 and he served his country very proudly.

This is a case of "The More You Know"...