- SURNAME
Farrell
- FORENAME
Joseph Michael
- UNIT
U.S.Army OSS 2677 Special Reconnaissance Regiment (Company D)
- RANK
Technician Fifth Class
- NUMBER
31329187
- DATE OF DEATH
26th March 1944
- AGE
21
- GRAVESITE
St Thomas Cemetery, Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut Plot D1
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
from Southport, Fairfield County, Connecticut
born 17.04.1922 Stamford, Connecticut, USA
2 years high school
foundry worker in civilian life
employed by Home Comforts Insulation, John Street, Southport, Connecticut
resided 53 Kings Highway West, Southport, Connecticut
30.06.1942 draft card Southport, Connecticut
single without dependents upon enlistment
entered service 8.3.1943 New Haven, Connecticut
award Silver Star
Mission Ginny II
POW 24.3.1944 Italy
executed Punta Bianca
OSS Memorial, CIA HQ, McLean, Virginia
DATE OF DEATH:
26-Mar-1944AWARD:
https://www.specialforcesroh.com/index.php?threads/farrell-joseph-m.36091/CITATION:
Silver Star : The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Technician Fifth Grade Joseph M. Farrell (ASN: 31329187), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with the 2677th Company, Office of Strategic Services, in action against the enemy on the nights of 22 and 23 March 1944 in the European Theater of Operations. Technician Fifth Grade Farrell was a member of an operational group consisting of two officers and 13 enlisted men, whose mission it was to land behind the enemy's lines and demolish or block an important railway tunnel. Despite the announcement by the Germans that all Allied saboteurs captured behind the lines would be executed, Technician Fifth Grade Farrell volunteered for this hazardous duty. To avoid detection, landing boats had returned to Corsica after putting the raiders ashore. Plans were to pick up the saboteurs the subsequent night, upon completion of the mission. Two attempts were made by pursuit torpedo boats to retrieve the party, both of them unsuccessful. Later, information was received that the party had been captured and no precise accounts were receive until 1946 when it was learned that the group had been brutally executed four days after it had landed. The soldier's graves were located and all 15 men were found buried together with their hands bound behind them. His gallant actions and dedicated devotion to duty, without regard for his own life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
WEB LINKS:
• https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/104098FINDAGRAVE:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/116046171/joseph-michael-farrell
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