- SURNAME
Russo
- FORENAME
Vincent Joseph
- UNIT
U.S.Army OSS 2677 Special Reconnaissance Regiment (Company D)
- RANK
First Lieutenant
- NUMBER
0-1109637
- DATE OF DEATH
26th March 1944
- AGE
27
- GRAVESITE
Immaculate Conception Cemetery, Upper Montclair, Essex County, New Jersey
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
from Essex County, New Jersey
born 25.07.1916 Montclair, New Jersey, USA
father Giovanni B. Russo (1888-1969)
mother Louise (nee Morano) Russo (1895-1946)
4 years high school
civil occupation semiskilled brick and stone masons, and tile setters
employed by John W. Ryan, Caldwell Airport, Caldwell, New Jersey
single without dependents upon enlistment
resided 101 Glenridge Avenue, Montclair, New Jersey
16.10.1940 draft card Montclair, New Jersey
03.10.1941 entered service Fort Dix, New Jersey (service number 32182663)
awards Silver Star, Purple Heart
POW 24.3.1944 Italy (Mission Ginny II)
executed Punta Bianca
OSS Memorial, CIA HQ, McLean, Virginia
DATE OF DEATH:
26-Mar-1944AWARD:
https://www.specialforcesroh.com/index.php?threads/russo-vincent-j.36075/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 First Lieutenant (Infantry) Vincent J. Russo (ASN: 0-1109637), 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. First Lieutenant Russo 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, First Lieutenant Russo 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/111601FINDAGRAVE:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/82494659/vincent-joseph-russo
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