Today we would commemorate the 101th birthday of John Del Santo, a hero, veteran, and modest man who participated in the liberation of southwestern Bohemia with the 97th Infantry Division.

Today we would commemorate the 101th birthday of John Del Santo, a hero, veteran, and modest man who participated in the liberation of southwestern Bohemia with the 97th Infantry Division.

John Del Santo was one of the most distinguished guests at the Pilsen Freedom Festival, always smiling and modest.

He served with the 9th Infantry Division in Tunisia, jumped with the 101st Airborne Division in Normandy after recovering from his injuries (caused by artillery shrapnel), was deployed in the defense of Bastogne in the Ardennes (where he received the Silver Star and was promoted to lieutenant), and was assigned to the 97th Infantry Division to an artillery battalion with which he marched from Le Havre via Aachen, crossed the Rhine at Bonn, and reached the Czechoslovak border. He participated in the conquest of Cheb and, via Rozvadov, Peřejov, Nové Domky, and Bor u Tachova, he reached the town of Touškov, and on May 6, 1945, he participated in the liberation of Plzeň. During World War II, he was awarded one Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts. After the end of World War II, he was transferred back to the 101st Airborne Division, with which he fought in the Korean War, and during the Vietnam War he served as an instructor for paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division. In 1978, he retired with the rank of colonel.

He died on November 20, 2011, and is buried at Saint Joseph's Cemetery in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, New York.

Source: detektorweb