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GUNNERY SERGEANT Pete G. Sparacino, United Stateshas beenmarine corps,achievementw h i kawarded the bronze star for heroicin connection with operations against the enemy with aserving wiin a marine in'antrv battalion on Iwo Jima,. -imVo lea: o Islands. March IT, 1945. Due to extremely heavy firefrom enemy emplacements,Gunnery Sergeant Sparacino’s platoon, as well as the adjacent right fiank platoon immobilized, according to the citation accompanying the medal. Sparacino, being in contact with the command post by radio, inter-copied a message stating that the platoon leader of the right flank had become a casualty.that a leader wasneeded in this platoon, he vol-ntarulv marie his wav to theirI-*position and although unfamil-ar with the personnel, assumedSGT. SPARACINOcommand.The platoon was disorganized and had lost contact with adjacent units and he immediately began the difficult task ofreorganization under fire He personally established contactw *h thlt; platoons in cither flank, thus solirifying the lines.Undei the sergeant's direction/*- — .....a number of casualties were'A ^ /AA rf Idrew heaw rifle fire, he directedstar on his Asiatic-Pacific ribbon , fr*m dangerou areas fm, thps.e fjvp battles, in the Ad- lforward of the lines. Finally.altu ich he exposed himself andmiralties, British New Guinea. 1Dutch New Guinea. Mnrotai andthe Philippinees. He also wears k f! e c? uenching of the platoon for Philippine liberation ribbon lt;lt; i oh f SnaraHna's nuick. de- wjth one‘ bronze star and theirAmerican theater ribbon. [(In December he returned from cthp Pacific and spent a short leave ? with his parents before reporting;! the cuation bark to his ship and leaving for jrduty in the northern waters. i1 His ship has been credited withy shooting down four Japanese!1plane?. Three of them were shot;rthe i -ght Sparacina’s quick, decxivr ,'tion prevented the prob-ah disintegration of the rifle pl.u ion, which would have resulted in disastrous exposure of two jother platoon flank states., Thf marine is the 22-year-ld !son of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Spara-Icino, of Mahscott. He enlisted inithe service in 1940.
Newspaper Details
Beckley Raleigh Register
Beckley, West Virginia, US
Wed, Aug 08, 1945
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
VA, USA 19 Nov 2020
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