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John Mirando
Army
Middle Island
John Mirando
John Mirando was born in East New York, Queens on September 16, 1918. He was the son of John and Jennie (Giordano) Mirando. Before enlisting in the Army he served in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) from October 1936 through October, 1939 working on projects in Belton, Montana, Idaho and Reno, Nevada. He enlisted in the Army on December 26, 1939 at Jamaica after briefly residing in Coram. After enlisting, he was assigned to the 580th Coastal Artillery unit at Fort Hancock, New Jersey and was transferred for further training to Camp Polk, Louisiana. On October 9, 1940 his unit was transferred to Taboguilla Island in Panama. He was transferred back to the United States arriving at Camp Stewart, Georgia where he was assigned to the 580th Anti-Aircraft Battery C Battalion.
On December 16, 1943 he left for Europe aboard the Queen Elizabeth and arrived in Scotland. In March of 1944 his battalion landed in Le Havre, France and saw action under the First U.S. Army on the way to Drove, Germany. The C Battalion was assigned the mission of providing protection for bridges and traffic defiles in the vicinity of Euskirchen, Germany. The 580th proceeded to see action crossing the Rhine River from Remagen, across the Elbe River, South across the Danube River to Munich, and subsequently to Salzburg, Austria and then Traunstein and Bad Tolz.* During this time the unit was also attached to both the 9th U.S. Army and the 3rd U.S. Army, under General Patton. His unit saw additional action liberating a concentration camp and investigating Adolph Hitler’s Berlin Bunker. During the war he served as a mechanic and driver for half-tracks and other military equipment. John Mirando received the American Defense Service Medal, the American Service Medal and a Good Conduct Medal and was designated an Expert Marksman with the M-1 rifle. He was discharged from the service on October 2, 1945 as a Technician 4th Grade at Fort Dix, New Jersey.
Written by
Tim Mirando
February, 2011
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