World War II Honoree

Thomas Patrick Foley

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Maria Foley

Relationship

Niece

He served in the 362ND Infantry Regiment; 91st Infantry Division; IV Corps; 5th Army and fought in the Battle for Futa Pass, which is located north of Florence, Italy. The Battle for Futa Pass (September 1944) was a critical Allied assault on the German Gothic Line, targeting a key route through the Apennine Mountains toward Bologna. U.S. 5th Army troops (85th and 91st divisions) broke through after intense fighting, forcing a German withdrawal on September 22, 1944. He was killed in action on September 22, 1944 while taking out enemy machine gun emplacements and was posthumously awarded the Silver Star Medal and the Purple Heart. He was initially interred in the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial in Nettuno, Italy and then repatriated.