World War II Honoree

Joseph Wilson Peluso

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

New Brighton, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Thomas F. Peluso

Relationship

Son

SWORN IN JANUARY 23, 1943, SERIAL NUMBER 33442171, 345TH SIGNAL COMPANY WING, U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES, ACTIVATED APRIL 1943. BASIC AND U.S. ENCAMPMENTS: FORT MEADE, MARYLAND; ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY; SEYMOUR JOHNSON FIELD, GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA; HAMMER FIELD, CALIFORNIA; CAMP PINEDALE, CALIFORNIA; CAMP KOHLER, CALIFORNIA; PINEDALE AGAIN; CAMP PATRICK HENRY, VIRGINIA. SHIPPED TO EUROPEAN THEATER ON USAT REVERDY JOHNSON LIBERTY SHIP. LANDED AT TARANTO, ITALY FEBRUARY 10, 1944 AND ASSIGNED TO 12TH AIR FORCE, 5TH BOMBARDMENT WING, B-17 AIRCRAFT. SERVED IN ENGLAND, NORTH AFRICA, SICILY, ITALY, FRANCE, NETHERLANDS, LUXEMBOURG, AUSTRIA, GERMANY. CAMPAIGN RIBBONS: MEDITERRANEAN, ITALIAN, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN. BATTLE PARTICIPATION STARS: ITALY, MARCH 20, 1944; BRONZE STAR, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, V-E MEDAL. RATED: MARKSMAN (149) ON M1 CARBINE/GUNNER 2ND CLASS (61) ON THOMPSON SUB MACHINE GUN. HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING CHAMP, EUROPEAN THEATER. ONE OF THE FAMOUS G.I.S KNOWN FOR CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH PADRE PIO OF SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO WHILE RECOVERING FROM INJURIES IN FOGGIA, ITALY. DECEMBER 12, 1945, BOARDED USS GEORGE WASHINGTON AT LE HAVRE EN ROUTE TO NEW YORK CITY. DECEMBER 21, 1945, ARRIVED NEW YORK CITY. TOOK TRAIN TO CAMP KILMER, NEW JERSEY, THEN FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PENNSYLVANIA. DECEMBER 26, 1945, HONORABLY DISCHARGED. THEN TOOK TRAIN HOME TO NEW BRIGHTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ARRIVING AT MIDNIGHT IN BEAVER FALLS, PENNSYLVANIA.