List of Italian American Medal of Honor recipients

The following is a list of Italian-American soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who were awarded the American military's highest decoration — the Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...

, sometimes referred to as the Congressional Medal of Honor. The Medal of Honor is bestowed "for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty, in actual combat against an armed enemy force." The medal is awarded by the President of the United States

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

on behalf of the Congress

United States Congress

The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor

was created during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

government to a member of its armed forces. The recipient must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their own life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an enemy of the United States. Due to the nature of this medal, it is commonly presented posthumously.

Civil War

Luigi Palma di Cesnola

Luigi Palma di Cesnola , an Italian-American soldier and amateur archaeologist, was born in Rivarolo Canavese, near Turin...

Rank and organization: Colonel, 4th New York Cavalry

Date and place of action: 17 June 1863, Battle of Aldie

Battle of Aldie

The Battle of Aldie took place on June 17, 1863, in Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War.Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry screened Gen. Robert E. Lee's Confederate infantry as it marched north in the Shenandoah Valley behind the sheltering Blue...

, Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

Entered service at: New York

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

Date and place of birth: 29 June 1832, Rivarola, Piedmont

Piedmont

Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...

, Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

Thomas W. Hyde

Thomas Worcester Hyde was a Union Army colonel who subsequently received brevets of brigadier general of volunteers and major general of volunteers in the American Civil War, a state senator from Maine, and the founder of Bath Iron Works, one of the major shipyards in the United States...

Rank and organization: Major, 7th Maine Infantry

Date and place of action: 17 September 1862, Antietam

Battle of Antietam

The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...

, Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

Entered service at: Bath

Bath, Maine

Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,266. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County. Located on the Kennebec River, Bath is a port of entry with a good harbor. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its...

, Maine

Maine

Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...

Date and place of birth: Florence

Tuscany

Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....

, Italy

Italy

World War I

Michael Valente

- External links :...

Rank and organization: Private, United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

, Company D, 107th Infantry, 27th Division

Date and place of action: 29 September 1918, east of Ronssoy, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

Entered service at: Ogdensburg

Ogdensburg, New York

Ogdensburg is a city in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 11,128 at the 2010 census. In the late 18th century, European-American settlers named the community after American land owner and developer Samuel Ogden....

, New York

New York

Date and place of birth: 5 February 1895, Cassino, Italy

Italy

World War II

John Basilone

John Basilone was a United States Marine Gunnery Sergeant who received the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Guadalcanal during World War II...

Rank and organization: Sergeant, United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

, 1st Battalion

1st Battalion 7th Marines

The 1st Battalion, 7th Marines is an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. They are based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms and consist of approximately 1000 Marines. Famous Marines who have served in 1/7 include Chesty Puller and John Basilone...

, 7th Marines

U.S. 7th Marine Regiment

The 7th Marine Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California...

, 1st Marine Division

U.S. 1st Marine Division

The 1st Marine Division is a marine infantry division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is a subordinate unit of the I Marine Expeditionary Force ....

Date and place of action: 24 and 25 October 1942, Lunga

Lunga Point

Lunga Point is a promontory on the northern coast of Guadalcanal, the site of a naval battle during World War II. It was also the name of a nearby airfield, later named Henderson Field....

Area, Guadalcanal

Guadalcanal

Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...

, Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...

Entered service at: New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

Date and place of birth: 4 November 1916, Buffalo, New York

Buffalo, New York

Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...

Vito R. Bertoldo

Vito R. Bertoldo was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.-Biography:...

Rank and organization: Master Sergeant, United States Army

United States Army

, Company A, 242nd Infantry, 42nd Infantry Division

Date and place of action: 9 and 10 January 1945, Hatten, France

France

Entered service at: Decatur, Illinois

Decatur, Illinois

Decatur is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city, sometimes called "the Soybean Capital of the World", was founded in 1823 and is located along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. In 2000 the city population was 81,500,...

Date and place of birth: 1 December 1916, Decatur, Illinois

Willibald C. Bianchi

Willibald C. Bianchi was an officer in the Philippine Scouts who received the Medal of Honor for actions in Bataan, Philippines during that country's capitulation to Japanese forces during World War II. After the action near Bagac in the Bataan Province, Bianchi was among the troops captured by...

Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, United States Army, 45th Infantry Regiment (PS), Philippine Scouts

Philippine Scouts

The Philippine Scouts was a military organization of the United States Army from 1901 until the end of World War II. Made up of native Filipinos assigned to the United States Army Philippine Department, these troops were generally enlisted and under the command of American officers, however, a...

Date and place of action: 3 February 1942, near Bagac

Bagac, Bataan

Bagac is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Bataan, Philippines. According to the latest census , it has a population of 24,202 people in 4,553 households...

, Bataan Province

Bataan

Bataan is a province of the Philippines occupying the whole of the Bataan Peninsula on Luzon. The province is part of the Central Luzon region. The capital of Bataan is Balanga City and it is bordered by the provinces of Zambales and Pampanga to the north...

, Philippine Islands

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

Entered service at: New Ulm, Minnesota

New Ulm, Minnesota

New Ulm is a city in Brown County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,522 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Brown County....

Date and place of birth: New Ulm, Minnesota

Anthony Casamento

Corporal Anthony Casamento, was presented the Medal of Honor by President Jimmy Carter on September 12, 1980 in a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden, 38 years after Cpl Casamento's heroism on Guadalcanal in 1942....

Rank and organization: Corporal, United States Marine Corps, Company D, 1st Battalion

1st Battalion 5th Marines

1st Battalion, 5th Marines is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California consisting of approximately 800 Marines and sailors. Nicknamed Geronimo, it falls under the command of the 5th Marine Regiment and the 1st Marine Division...

, 5th Marines

U.S. 5th Marine Regiment

The 5th Marine Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the most highly decorated regiment in the Marine Corps and falls under the command of the 1st Marine Division and the I Marine Expeditionary Force...

, 1st Marine Division

Date and place of action: 1 November 1942, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands

Entered service at: Brooklyn, New York

Date and place of birth: 16 November 1920, Brooklyn, New York

Ralph Cheli

Ralph Cheli was a major in the United States Army Air Forces and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. He served as the commanding officer of the 405th Bombardment Squadron in the Fifth Air Force's 38th Bombardment Group, based at Durand Airfield, Port Moresby, New Guinea.On August 18, 1943, while...

Rank and organization: Major, United States Army Air Corps

United States Army Air Corps

The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...

Date and place of action: 18 August 1943, near Wewak

Wewak

Wewak is the capital of the East Sepik province of Papua New Guinea. It is located on the northern coast of the island of New Guinea. It is the largest town between Madang and Jayapura. It is the see city of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wewak....

, New Guinea

New Guinea

New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...

Entered service at: Brooklyn, New York

Date and place of birth: San Francisco, California

San Francisco, California

San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...

Joseph J. Cicchetti

Joseph J. Cicchetti was a soldier in the United States Army who received the Medal of Honor in World War II during actions in the campaign to recapture the Philippines from Japanese forces in 1945. Cicchetti formed a team of soldiers to rescue wounded comrades...

Rank and organization: Private First Class, United States Army, Company A, 148th Infantry, 37th Infantry Division

Date and place of action: 9 February 1945, south Manila

Manila

Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...

, Luzon

Luzon

Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

, Philippine Islands

Entered service at: Waynesburg, Ohio

Waynesburg, Ohio

Waynesburg is a village in Stark County, Ohio, United States. The population was 923 at the 2010 census, a decrease from 1,003 in 2000. It is part of the Canton–Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

Date and place of birth: Waynesburg, Ohio

Mike Colalillo

Mike Colalillo is a former United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.-Biography:...

Rank and organization: Private First Class, United States Army, Company C, 398th Infantry, 100th Infantry Division

Date and place of action: 7 April 1945, near Untergriesheim, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

Entered service at: Duluth, Minnesota

Duluth, Minnesota

Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...

Date and place of birth: Hibbing, Minnesota

Hibbing, Minnesota

Hibbing is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 16,361 at the 2010 census. The city was built on the rich iron ore of the Mesabi Iron Range. At the edge of town is the largest open-pit iron mine in the world. U.S...

Peter J. Dalessondro

Peter J. Dalessondro was United States Army soldier who earned the United States' highest military honor — the Medal of Honor — on December 22, 1944 for action occurring in the European Theatre of Operations during World War II.-Medal of Honor citationAfter the war:After returning home...

Rank and organization: Technical Sergeant, United States Army, Company E, 39th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division

U.S. 9th Infantry Division

The 9th Infantry Division was created as the 9th Division during World War I, but never deployed overseas. Later, the division was an important unit of the United States Army in World War II and the Vietnam War...

Date and place of action: 22 December 1944, near Kalterherberg

Monschau

Monschau is a small resort town in the Eifel region of western Germany, located in the district Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia.-Geography:The town is located in the hills of the North Eifel, within the Hohes Venn – Eifel Nature Park in the narrow valley of the Rur river.The historic town center...

, Germany

Entered service at: Watervliet, New York

Watervliet, New York

Watervliet is a city in Albany County in the US state of New York. The population was 10,254 as of the 2010 census. Watervliet is north of Albany, the capital of the state, and is bordered on the north, west, and south by the town of Colonie. The city is also known as "the Arsenal City".- History...

Date and place of birth: 19 May 1918, Watervliet, New York

Anthony P. Damato

Corporal Anthony Peter Damato was a United States Marine who received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his valor and sacrifice of life during World War II...

Rank and organization: Corporal, United States Marine Corps

Date and place of action: 19 and 20 February 1944, Engebi Island, Eniwetok Atoll

Enewetak

Enewetak Atoll is a large coral atoll of 40 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands. Its land area totals less than , surrounding a deep central lagoon, in circumference...

, Marshall Islands

Marshall Islands

The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...

Entered service at: Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

Date and place of birth: 28 March 1922, Shenandoah, Pennsylvania

Shenandoah, Pennsylvania

Shenandoah is a small town located in the lower part of the anthracite Coal Region, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. It is northwest of Philadelphia. The Greater Shenandoah area includes Shenandoah Heights, which is part of West Mahanoy Township and is located just north of Shenandoah.-History:The...

Arthur F. DeFranzo

Arthur F. DeFranzo was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.-Biography:...

Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, United States Army, 1st Infantry Division

U.S. 1st Infantry Division

The 1st Infantry Division of the United States Army is the oldest division in the United States Army. It has seen continuous service since its organization in 1917...

Date and place of action: 10 June 1944, near Vaubadon

Vaubadon

Vaubadon is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-Population:...

, France

Entered service at: Saugus, Massachusetts

Saugus, Massachusetts

Saugus is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. The population was 26,628 at the 2010 census.-History:Saugus was first settled in 1629. Saugus is an Indian name believed to mean "great" or "extended"...

Date and place of birth: Saugus, Massachusetts

Gino J. Merli

Gino Joseph Merli was an American soldier, and recipient of the Medal of Honor during World War II.-Biography:...

Rank and organization: Private First Class, United States Army, 18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division

Date and place of action: 4 and 5 September 1944, near Sars la Bruyere, Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

Entered service at: Peckville, Pennsylvania

Date and place of birth: Scranton, Pennsylvania

Scranton, Pennsylvania

Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...

Frank J. Petrarca

Frank Joseph Petrarca was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.-Biography:...

Rank and organization: Private First Class, United States Army, Medical Detachment, 145th Infantry, 37th Infantry Division

Date and place of action: 27 July 1943, Horseshoe Hill, New Georgia

New Georgia

New Georgia is the largest island of the Western Province of the Solomon Islands.-Geography:This island is located in the New Georgia Group, an archipelago including most of the other larger islands in the province...

, Solomon Islands

Entered service at: Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...

Date and place of birth: Cleveland, Ohio

Robert M. Viale

Robert M. Viale was a United States Army officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II....

Second Lieutenant, United States Army, Company K, 148th Infantry, 37th Infantry Division

Date and place of action: 5 February 1945, Manila, Luzon, Philippine Islands

Entered service at: Ukiah, California

Ukiah, California

The average high temperature is 73.5 °F . Average low temperature is 46.1 °F . Temperatures reach 90 °F on an average of 65.6 days annually and 100 °F on an average of 14.4 days annually. Due to frequent low humidity, summer temperatures normally drop into the fifties at night. Freezing...

Date and place of birth: Bayside, California

Bayside, California

Bayside is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California. It is located south-southeast of Arcata, at an elevation of 33 feet . The ZIP Code is 95524....

Korean War

Reginald B. Desiderio

Reginald B. Desiderio was a soldier in the United States Army during the Korean War. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions on November 27, 1950....

Rank and organization: Captain, United States Army, commanding officer, Company E, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division

Date and place of action: Near Ipsok, Korea, 27 November 1950

Entered service at: Gilroy, California

Gilroy, California

Gilroy is the southernmost city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 48,821 at the 2010 census. Gilroy is well-known for its garlic crop and for the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival, featuring various garlicky foods, including garlic ice cream. Gilroy also produces...

Date and place of birth: 12 September 1918, Clairton, Pennsylvania

Clairton, Pennsylvania

Clairton is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, along the Monongahela River. It is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area. The population was 6,796 at the 2010 census. Under Pennsylvania legal classifications for local governments, Clairton is considered a third-class city...

Joseph Vittori

Corporal Joseph Vittori was a 22-year old United States Marine who was killed in action during the Korean War....

Rank and organization: Corporal, United States Marine Corps Reserve, Company F, 2nd Battalion

2nd Battalion 1st Marines

2nd Battalion, 1st Marines is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. Nicknamed "The Professionals," the battalion consists of approximately 1000 Marines and Sailors...

, 1st Marines

U.S. 1st Marine Regiment

The 1st Marine Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. The regiment, sometimes known as "Inchon", falls under the command of the 1st Marine Division and the I Marine Expeditionary Force.-Subordinate units:The...

, 1st Marine Division

U.S. 1st Marine Division

(Reinforced)

Date and place of action: 15 and 16 September 1951, Hill 749, Korea

Korea

Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

Entered service at: Beverly, Massachusetts

Beverly, Massachusetts

Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 39,343 on , which differs by no more than several hundred from the 39,862 obtained in the 2000 census. A resort, residential and manufacturing community on the North Shore, Beverly includes Beverly Farms and Prides...

Date and place of birth: 1 August 1929, Beverly, Massachusetts

Vietnam War

Lewis Albanese

Lewis Albanese was an Italian born United States Army Private First Class during the Vietnam War who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions during a fire fight where he freed his platoon from sniper fire....

Rank and organization: Private First Class, United States Army

United States Army

, Company B, 5th Battalion (Airmobile), 7th Cavalry Regiment

U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment

The 7th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army Cavalry Regiment, whose lineage traces back to the mid-19th century. Its official nickname is "Garryowen," in honor of the Irish air Garryowen that was adopted as its march tune....

, 1st Cavalry Division

Date and place of action: 1 December 1966, Republic of Vietnam

Vietnam

Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

Entered service at: Seattle, Washington

Seattle, Washington

Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...

Date and place of birth: 27 April 1946, Venice

Venice

Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...

, Italy

Italy

Vincent R. Capodanno

Servant of God Vincent Robert Capodanno was a United States Navy Roman Catholic chaplain and a posthumous recipient of America's highest military decoration — the Medal of Honor — for actions during the Vietnam War....

Rank and organization: Lieutenant, United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

, Chaplain Corps

United States Navy Chaplain Corps

The Chaplain Corps of the United States Navy consists of ordained clergy who are commissioned naval officers. Their principal purpose is to "promote the spiritual, religious, moral, and personal well-being of the members of the Department of the Navy," which includes the Navy and the United States...

, 3rd Battalion

3rd Battalion 5th Marines

3rd Battalion 5th Marines is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps. The battalion, nicknamed "Dark Horse", is based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and consists of approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors...

, 5th Marines

U.S. 5th Marine Regiment

, 1st Marine Division

U.S. 1st Marine Division

(Reinforced), FMF

Date and place of action: 4 September 1967, Quang Tin Province, Republic of Vietnam

Entered service at: Staten Island, New York

Date and place of birth: 13 February 1929, Staten Island, New York

Jon R. Cavaiani

Jon Robert Cavaiani is a retired United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War.-Biography:...

Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, United States Army, Vietnam Training Advisory Group

Date and place of action: 4 and 5 June 1971, Republic of Vietnam

Entered service at: Fresno, California

Fresno, California

Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...

Date and place of birth: 2 August 1943, Royston, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

Frank R. Fratellenico

Frank Rocco Fratellenico was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War.-Biography:...

Rank and organization: Corporal, United States Army, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division

101st Airborne Division

The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...

Date and place of action: 19 August 1970, Quang Tri Province

Quang Tri Province

Quảng Trị is a province on the North Central Coast of Vietnam, north of the former imperial capital of Huế.-Geography:Located in North Central Vietnam, Quang Tri Province is surrounded by Quang Binh Province on the north, Thua Thien-Hue Province on the south, Savannakhet Province of Laos on the...

, Republic of Vietnam

Entered service at: Albany, New York

Albany, New York

Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...

Date and place of birth: 14 July 1951, Sharon, Connecticut

Sharon, Connecticut

Sharon is a town located in Litchfield County, Connecticut, in the northwest corner of the state. It is bounded on the north by Salisbury, on the east by the Housatonic River, on the south by Kent, and on the west by Dutchess County, New York...

Gary W. Martini

Private First Class Gary Wayne Martini was a United States Marine who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for heroism in April 1967 during the Vietnam War.-Early years:...

Rank and organization: Private First Class, United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

, Company F, 2nd Battalion

2nd Battalion 1st Marines

, 1st Marines

U.S. 1st Marine Regiment

, 1st Marine Division

Date and place of action: 21 April 1967, Binh Son, Republic of Vietnam

Entered service at: Portland

Portland, Oregon

Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...

, Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

Date and place of birth: 21 September 1948, Lexington, Virginia

Lexington, Virginia

Lexington is an independent city within the confines of Rockbridge County in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 7,042 in 2010. Lexington is about 55 minutes east of the West Virginia border and is about 50 miles north of Roanoke, Virginia. It was first settled in 1777.It is home to...

Louis R. Rocco

Chief Warrant Officer Louis Richard Rocco was a United States Army soldier who received the Medal of Honor—the United States' highest military decoration—for his actions near the village of Katum, in the Republic of Vietnam, during the Vietnam War...

Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class, United States Army, Advisory Team 162, Military Assistance Command

Military Assistance Command, Vietnam

The U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, MACV, , was the United States' unified command structure for all of its military forces in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.-History:...

Date and place of action: 24 May 1970, northeast of Katum, Republic of Vietnam

Entered service at: Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

Date and place of birth: 19 November 1938, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...

Humbert R. Versace

Humbert Roque Versace

Captain Humbert Roque "Rocky" Versace was a United States Army officer of Puerto Rican-Italian descent who was awarded the United States' highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his heroic actions while a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. He was the first member of...

Rank and organization: Captain, United States Army, Detachment A-23, 5th Special Forces Group, Army Special Forces

United States Army Special Forces

The United States Army Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets because of their distinctive service headgear, are a special operations force tasked with six primary missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, hostage rescue, and...

, Intelligence Advisor to Military Assistance Advisory Group

Military Assistance Advisory Group

Military Assistance Advisory Group is a designation for American military advisers sent to assist in the training of conventional armed forces of Third World countries. Before and during the Vietnam War, there were three of these groups operating in Southeast Asia...

, Ca Mau

Ca Mau, Vietnam

Cà Mau is a city in southern Vietnam. It is the capital of Ca Mau province, a province in the Mekong Delta region, in the southernmost part of Vietnam's inland territory. Vietnam's incumbent Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung was born and raised here...

, Republic of Vietnam

Date and place of action: 29 October 1963 to 26 September 1965, Vietnam

Entered service at: Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....

Date and place of birth: 2 July 1937, Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...

War in Afghanistan

Jared C. Monti

Jared Christopher Monti was a soldier in the United States Army who received the United States military's highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in Afghanistan....

Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class, United States Army

United States Army

, 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team

3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (United States)

The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division is an infantry Brigade Combat Team of the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York...

, 10th Mountain Division

10th Mountain Division

The 10th Mountain Division is a light infantry division of the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. It is a subordinate unit of the XVIII Airborne Corps and the only division-sized element of the U.S. Army to specialize in fighting under harsh terrain and weather conditions...

Date and place of action: 21 June 2006, Gowardesh, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

Entered service at: Fort Sill

Fort Sill

Fort Sill is a United States Army post near Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.Today, Fort Sill remains the only active Army installation of all the forts on the South Plains built during the Indian Wars...

, Oklahoma

Date and place of birth: 20 September 1975, Abington, Massachusetts

Abington, Massachusetts

As of the census of 2000, there were 14,605 people, 5,263 households, and 3,747 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,469.1 people per square mile . There were 5,348 housing units at an average density of 538.0 per square mile...

Salvatore Giunta

Salvatore Giunta is a retired Italian football player who played for, among others, AC Milan and Albacete Balompié, as well as the Italian under-21 side.Giunta played for AS Cannes in French Ligue 2 during the 1998-99 season....

Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, United States Army

United States Army

, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade

173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team

The 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team is an airborne infantry brigade combat team of the United States Army based in Vicenza, Italy...

Date and place of action: 27 October 2007, Korengal Valley, Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Entered service at: Fort Benning, Georgia

Date and place of birth: 21 January 1985, Clinton

Clinton

Clinton is an English family name, indicating one's ancestors came from English places called Glympton or Glinton. Clinton has frequently been used as a given name in the United States since the late 19th century, probably originally in honor of DeWitt Clinton or one of his famous relatives...

, Iowa

Iowa

Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...

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