World War II Honoree

Thomas S. 'Tom' Pilleri

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Boston, Massachusetts

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Private First Class. Inducted into the United States Marine Corps January 9, 1942 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with recruit training assigned to the Ninth Recruit Battalion Training Regiment; Marine Corps Base Parris Island, South Carolina. Upon his graduation from Boot Camp, he was transferred to Camp Geiger, North Carolina for combat training. Following basic and advanced infantry training, he served as a Machine Gunner with Kilo Company, Third Battalion, First Marine Regiment an element of the First Marine ‘the Old Breed’ Division. His Division participated in the amphibious assault on the island of Guadalcanal (Battle Dates: August 7, 1942-February 9, 1943) Code Name: Operation Watchtower Location: Southwestern Pacific Theater of Operations. Reported missing in action or buried at sea September 17, 1942, during a combat operation against the Imperial Japanese Forces. In remembrance of the brave, his name is permanently inscribed in the tablets of the missing, memorialized at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial Location: Fort Bonifacio, Manila, Philippine Islands. This American Patriot received the following decorations posthumously: Silver Star and the Purple Heart. The Silver was awarded to the Marine for Distinguished Gallantry in Action and Valor in Combat against an enemy force, and the Purple Heart for his ultimate sacrifice.