World War II Honoree

Mike Colalillo

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Duluth, Minnesota

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. PRIVATE FIRST CLASS, U.S. ARMY, COMPANY C, 398TH INFANTRY, 100TH INFANTRY DIVISION. PLACE AND DATE: NEAR UNTERGRIESHEIM, GERMANY ON APRIL 7, 1945. ENTERED SERVICE AT DULUTH, MINNESOTA JANUARY 9, 1946. CITATION: HE WAS PINNED DOWN WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF HIS COMPANY DURING AN ATTACK AGAINST STRONG ENEMY POSITIONS IN THE VICINITY OF UNTERGRIESHEIM, GERMANY. HEAVY ARTILLERY, MORTAR AND MACHINE GUN FIRE MADE ANY MOVE HAZARDOUS. WHEN HE STOOD UP, HE SHOUTED TO THE COMPANY TO FOLLOW AND RAN FORWARD IN THE WAKE OF A SUPPORTING TANK, FIRING HIS MACHINE PISTOL. HIS COMRADES ADVANCED IN THE FACE OF SAVAGE ENEMY FIRE. WHEN HIS WEAPON WAS STRUCK BY SHRAPNEL AND RENDERED USELESS, HE CLIMBED TO THE DECK OF A FRIENDLY TANK, MANNED AN EXPOSED MACHINE GUN ON THE TURRET OF THE VEHICLE AND WHILE BULLETS RATTLED ABOUT HIM, FIRED AT AN ENEMY EMPLACEMENT WITH SUCH DEVASTATING ACCURACY, THAT HE KILLED OR WOUNDED AT LEAST 10 HOSTILE SOLDIERS AND DESTROYED THEIR MACHINE GUN. MAINTAINING HIS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS POST AS THE TANK FORGED AHEAD, HE BLASTED 3 MORE POSITIONS, DESTROYED ANOTHER MACHINE GUN EMPLACEMENT AND SILENCED ALL RESISTANCE IN HIS AREA, KILLED AT LEAST 3 AND WOUNDED AN UNDETERMINED NUMBER OF RIFLEMEN AS THEY FLED. HIS MACHINE GUN EVENTUALLY JAMMED, SO HE SECURED A SUB-MACHINE GUN FROM THE TANK CREW TO CONTINUE HIS ATTACK ON FOOT. WHEN OUR ARMORED FORCES EXHAUSTED THEIR AMMUNITION AND THE ORDER TO WITHDRAW WAS GIVEN, HE REMAINED BEHIND TO HELP A SERIOUSLY WOUNDED COMRADE OVER SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS OF OPEN TERRAIN BEING ROCKED BY AN INTENSE ENEMY ARTILLERY AND MORTAR BARRAGE. BY HIS INTREPIDITY AND INSPIRING COURAGE HE GAVE TREMENDOUS IMPETUS TO HIS COMPANY'S ATTACK, KILLED OR WOUNDED 25 OF THE ENEMY IN BITTER FIGHTING AND ASSISTED A WOUNDED SOLDIER IN REACHING THE AMERICAN LINES AT GREAT RISK OF HIS OWN LIFE.