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A War Fought by Unknown Heroes
Winston Churchill once said of World War Two that it was not a war of princes or chieftains, but of peoples and causes; a war fought by unknown heroes. Here we acknowledge the unknown heroes that Churchill was referring to as well; our fallen heroes as well as those that fought for our freedoms and returned with their memories. We remember and honour in our hearts the Allied heroes, war veterans and all the affected people, who valued freedom in their life above all else.
If you know of someone who should be recognized here, living or passed, from any country, contact us today!
Click on a LETTER for an alphabetical listing of honorees
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Pasquelle "Pat" Capparelle
Staff Sgt Pasqualle "Pat" Capparelle
Co B, 150th Combat Engineer Battalion
Bronze Star, Purple Heart
As part of the 150th Combat Engineer Battalion, Staff Sgt Pat Capparelle assisted in building 26 bridges, including two over the Rhine River. Several of those bridges were built under fire from small arms, artillery, mortars and Luftwaffe aircraft. After 5-6 months in England, they landed on Omaha Beach in mid-June, 1944. The 150th built and fought their way out of Normandy and took part in the Battle of the Bulge. They were acquired into Patton?s Third Army and went with him through Germany and finally ended up in Czechoslovakia. At some point, they were building a bridge and the Germans fired on them. A Senior Sergeant was shot and couldn?t move. In the face of bullets everywhere and no cover, Pat ran over to him and dragged him to safety. For this he received the Bronze Star. Submitted by grandson, Michael Fanell
Ernest Coffman
1st Sergeant
739th Field Artillery
Purple Heart
In 1943, Ernest Coffman, an Pennslyvanian, volunteered for the US Navy but was turned down due to bad eye sight. He was later drafted into the US Army and was assigned to the 739th Field Artillery Battalion (8 Inch Howitzers). In July 1944, Coffman arrived in Britain on the SS Queen Elizabeth, and crossed the English Channel for Normandy on August 30, 1944. He served as a cannoneer and fired upon Isle de Cezembre, Fort Driant, and other Nazi held forts along the Moselle River. On Oct. 27, 1944, Coffman was wounded when shrapnel hit his ankle while jumping head first into a foxhole. This wound caused him to stay out of combat for the rest of the war and also resulted in Coffman receiving the Purple Heart. He returned to the US in May 1945 and continue to serve his nation until his retirement as a 1st Sergeant in 1969.
Frank Collalto
Private First Class
Co.E, 345th Regt, 87th Infantry Division
Purple Heart
From Newark, NJ, Frank was KIA, 17 December 1944 in the Saar Basin. During very heavy shelling and machine gun fire, Frank bravely went forward to find the machine gun. That was the last he was seen. Frank was a very good soldier and a great comrade, giving his life for his country and the people of europe to free them of bondage. He is buried in the Lorraine American Cemetery, St. Avold (Moselle), France.
Submitted by James Hennessey.
Milton B. Conger
Private First Class, US Army
L Co., 3rd Bn, 314th Infantry, 79th Infantry Division
Purple Heart, Combat Infantry Badge
Milton "Pete" Conger was born on October 1, 1924, in rural Kansas. He served in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1946. Milton grew
up in Kit Carson County, Colorado, and entered the Army immediately following graduation from high school. He married Marjorie
Irene Schmidt on October 1, 1943, while home on leave, right before being sent to Europe to serve with the 79th Infantry
Division, 314th Regiment, L. Company. Milton's company fought primarily in France. On October 9, 1944, while digging a foxhole
at the edge of the Forest of Parroy, a Jeep pulled up and out stepped a 4-star general and asked him how things were going. He
later determined that he had spoken to General Marshall, who had come to France to see the troops. Milton was awarded the
Purple Heart for a leg wound he received a few days before his meeting with the general. It was also in the Forest of Parroy
that Milton and one of his buddies captured four German soldiers. Mr. Conger received the Combat Infantry Badge and the
Croix-de-Guerre from the French in 1997.
The trip home from Europe was dangerous for Milton. He was sent home on the French
ship Athos II. On December 21, 1945, they encountered a huge Atlantic typhoon and were tossed about on the sea for two days.
The soldiers were forced to stand for hours in the slimy lower passages as ballast. The ship was badly battered, and had to
stop in the Azores. There they waited to be transferred to the aircraft carrier Enterprise for the rest of the trip home.
After the war, Milton returned home to Colorado where he worked as a carpenter and building contractor, operating Conger
Construction. Milton and his wife Marjorie raised three daughters: Linda Kay (Malm), Nancy Lee (Brown), and Connie Rae (Ogle).
Mr. Conger is a charter member of VFW Post 6491 and is also a member of American Legion Post 60.
Emmet Curtin
Private First Class, US Army
I Co., 3rd Btn., 314th Infantry, 79th Infantry Division
Purple Heart
My uncle was a member of I Co., 3rd Batn., 314th Infantry. He was KIA 11/14/44 at Fremonville. He was 19 years old and was killed by mortar fire while crossing a railroad into a field. He was also at the rest area before his death at Luneville, where I understand Private Melvin (www.privateletters.net) did the same. I have a letter from my Uncle "Boogie's" (nickname) squad leader describing how and where he died.
I have two sons in the Army at present and they are facinated by the history of our military family during WWI,II, Korea. My oldest son was in Desert Storm, he spent one year in Iraq, with a return trip this coming year. My youngest will be going there later in '05. I found your web site very interesting, and feel a lot of pride in all the Americans who served and now serve. Thank you for sharing. Sincerely, Cindy McKnight
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