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| WWII Army hero Paul Panagrosso |
By DEBBIE BARBIERO
Paul Panagrosso entered World War II by joining the U.S Army at age 18 to be part of the 106th Infantry Division.
Paul Panagrosso entered World War II by joining the U.S Army at age 18 to be part of the 106th Infantry Division.
He was captured by the Germans on the first day of the Battle of the Bulge, Dec. 16, 1944.
After marching for days in snow he was placed in Stalag XIA and then transferred to Stalag IIIA. Eventually he was sent off to a work camp where he spent untold hours unloading railroad ties.
In April 1945 the work camp was evacuated and he had to march east. His feet were frostbitten and he needed the aid of a cart for this journey. Near the Elbe River he and his group stopped to take shelter. That evening the town came under attack by advancing Americans and they were liberated, ending five months of captivity.
He was 165 pounds when he entered the Army. But when he arrived at Camp Lucky Strike in France for treatment he weighed only 100 pounds.
After just one month at the hospital he was on a ship back to the States.
He received a 60-day furlough and reassigned to Camp Devens, Mass. where he waited after being told he would soon be deployed to the Pacific to fight Japan.
The war thankfully ended before this occurred and he was released from the Army in December, 1945.
Like so many other Americans our father was part of “The Greatest Generation.”
To show our appreciation we are hoping to flood his mailbox with greetings in celebration of his 90th birthday on July 5.
After marching for days in snow he was placed in Stalag XIA and then transferred to Stalag IIIA. Eventually he was sent off to a work camp where he spent untold hours unloading railroad ties.
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| Panagrosso during WWII |
In April 1945 the work camp was evacuated and he had to march east. His feet were frostbitten and he needed the aid of a cart for this journey. Near the Elbe River he and his group stopped to take shelter. That evening the town came under attack by advancing Americans and they were liberated, ending five months of captivity.
He was 165 pounds when he entered the Army. But when he arrived at Camp Lucky Strike in France for treatment he weighed only 100 pounds.
After just one month at the hospital he was on a ship back to the States.
He received a 60-day furlough and reassigned to Camp Devens, Mass. where he waited after being told he would soon be deployed to the Pacific to fight Japan.
The war thankfully ended before this occurred and he was released from the Army in December, 1945.
Like so many other Americans our father was part of “The Greatest Generation.”
To show our appreciation we are hoping to flood his mailbox with greetings in celebration of his 90th birthday on July 5.
Please send cards to:
Paul Panagrosso, P.O. Box 193, Chaplin, CT., 06235.
I'm PROUD to say, this is my Dad!
I am so grateful he is still with us. He is my HERO!
Paul Panagrosso, P.O. Box 193, Chaplin, CT., 06235.
I'm PROUD to say, this is my Dad!
I am so grateful he is still with us. He is my HERO!
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