World War II Honoree

Frank M. Gervasi

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Vandergrift, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Family

ENTERED THE SERVICE IN JANUARY 1942 AT THE AGE OF 22. MEMBER OF THE 16TH INFANTRY, 1ST DIVISION, A COMPANY, ALSO KNOWN AS 'THE BIG RED ONE.' ATTENDED BASIC TRAINING AT CAMP WHEELER WITH ADDITIONAL TRAINING AT CAMP BLANDING AND FORT BENNING. ON AUGUST 1, 1942 HIS DIVISION BOARDED THE QUEEN MARY AND LEFT NEW YORK HARBOR FOR EUROPE. HE COMPLETED HIS TRAINING AND MANEUVERS AT TIDWORTH BARRACKS IN ENGLAND. ON NOVEMBER 8, 1942, HIS DIVISION LEFT TIDWORTH ABOARD THE DUCHESS OF KENT FOR ORAN, ALGERIA AND THE INVASION OF NORTH AFRICA (THE FIRST OF THREE FIRST WAVES OF COMBAT HE WOULD PARTICIPATE IN). ON JANUARY 14, 1943, THE BIG RED ONE REACHED TUNIS. IT WAS THERE THAT HE AND OTHERS IN HIS DIVISION WERE TAKEN PRISONERS OF THE GERMAN ARMY ON APRIL 30, 1943. TEN DAYS LATER BRITISH FORCES SWEPT THROUGH AND LIBERATED TUNIS, FREEING HIM BEFORE SINKING THE BOAT ON WHICH HE WAS BEING HELD CAPTIVE. HIS NEXT FIRST WAVE WAS THE INVASION OF SICILY ON JULY 10, 1943. DURING THIS CAMPAIGN, HE WAS PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF CORPORAL. IN OCTOBER 1943 HIS DIVISION SAILED TO ENGLAND AND BEGAN TRAINING FOR THE D-DAY INVASION. IN ENGLAND HE WAS PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF STAFF SERGEANT. ON JUNE 6, 1944, HE SAW HIS THIRD FIRST WAVE IN 18 MONTHS. HE LANDED ON THE EASY RED SECTOR OF OMAHA BEACH AS A SQUAD LEADER WITH 250 MEN IN HIS COMPANY, 58 OF WHOM SURVIVED THAT DAY. HIS COMPANY ADVANCED INLAND UNTIL THE ST. LO BREAKTHROUGH AND ON JULY 28, 1944 HE WAS WOUNDED AND SENT TO ENGLAND TO RECOVER. IN SEPTEMBER 1944 HE REJOINED HIS COMPANY IN STOLBERG, GERMANY, WHERE HE REMAINED IN COMBAT UNTIL THAT NOVEMBER WHEN HE WAS SENT TO OFFICERS CANDIDATE SCHOOL IN FONTAINEBLEAU, FRANCE. HE SPENT EIGHT MONTHS AS A TECHNICAL INSTRUCTOR IN INFANTRY TACTICS. HE WAS DISCHARGED OCTOBER 2, 1945 WITH A RANK OF MASTER SERGEANT, CLASSIFICATION: ESSENTIAL, WITH 119 DISCHARGE POINTS. MEDALS EARNED INCLUDE THE PURPLE HEART, BRONZE STAR, SEVEN CAMPAIGN STARS, THREE PRESIDENTIAL CITATIONS, PRISONER OF WAR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL AND THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS RIBBON.