Anthony Robert Cecere was born October 27, 1921 in Utica, NY to Vitantonio "Vito" A. Cecere (1886-1949) and Maria Lucia Saracina (1893-1979). Both his parents were from Italy and they were married in 1912 before coming to the U.S. His dad found work where he could and his mom did house work for a private family. The 1930 US Census noted that his older sister Mary also worked in a local knitting mill. Anthony was the third of their six children which included Marie (1913-1972), Frank (1915-1981), Cosmo (1923-1944), Anna Marie (1931-1990) and Dolores (1935-2000). He was a member of St. Mary of Mt. Carmel Church and in the summer of 1940 attended the Citizens' Military Training Camp in Plattsburg, NY.

Anthony graduated from Utica Free Academy in 1941. While there he was a member of the Electrical Club and Brandegee. After high school he went to work for Bossert Company in Utica, NY. Bossert made shell cases for the military during World War II. Its 850 men and women worked 10 hour shifts six days a week to produce not only shell cases, but also stainless steel oxygen tanks for airplanes. He entered the service on September 29, 1942 through Utica, NY with service number 32574581. He was 5'-11 1/2" tall, weighed 185 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes at the time. He was living at 518 Kossuth St., Utica, NY at the time.

He did his training at Jefferson Barracks, MO., Kearney AFB, Nebraska and then Texas and went overseas in April 1944 to Thurleigh, England. He flew his first combat mission in May 1944. S/Sgt. Cecere was awarded the Air Medal on 4 separate occasions: July 27, August 21, October 13 and November 14, 1944. On January 1, 1945 the 306th Bombardment Group (H) flew a bombing run out of Thurleigh, England to Limburg, Germany. T/Sgt. Cecere was aboard a B-17-G, Serial Number 43-38690, piloted by Lt. R.D. Stewart. His plane was "unaccounted for after low squadron broke up in clouds over North Sea going in. " His body was never recovered.

He is memorialized with a cenotaph in the Calvary Cemetery, Utica, NY. His brother, Cosmos was killed on Bougainville on November 3, 1944 by a falling tree.

Author's Note: The 306th Bomb Group website at https://306bgus.verio.com/index.html, accessed in September 2026 has additional reports that Anthony Cecere appeared in. You can search for him by last name to access mission reports and more.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project. This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen on Together We Served and Fold3.

(Please see - http://www.storiesbehindthestars.org).

Can you help us write these stories? Together We Served and Fold3/Find A Grave have smartphone apps that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery and read these stories of WWII fallen.

If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute, please contact Jim Greenberg at jim.greenberg@oneonta.edu.

SBTSProject/New York/Oneida

Sources

"Cecere Dead, Army Presumes", Utica Observer-Dispatch, Utica, NY, January 20, 1944, pg. 3A.

Glass, Wiley W., Richardson, Allan B., Kavanaugh, John M., Moore, Henry L. P., Squadron Diary 369th Bombardment Squadron (H), 306th Bomb Group Historical Association, 1991, rev. 2004.

Jan 45 306th BG War Diary, accessed at 306th Bomb Group (H) website via search for "Cecere" on September 22, 2026.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/153558920/anthony_r-cecere: accessed 14 Sep 2026), memorial page for TSGT Anthony R. Cecere (21 Oct 1921–1 Jan 1945), Find a Grave Memorial ID 153558920, citing Calvary Cemetery, Utica, Oneida County, New York, USA; Maintained by Family Historian (contributor 47488478).

Historical Marker Database accessed at https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=285921 on September 19, 2026.

Mom's FAG - Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/138407206/maria_lucia-cecere-ciccone: accessed 14 Sep 2026), memorial page for Maria Lucia Cecere-Ciccone (1893–4 Feb 1979), Find a Grave Memorial ID 138407206, citing Calvary Cemetery, Utica, Oneida County, New York, USA; Maintained by Family Historian (contributor 47488478).

National Archives at College Park; College Park, Maryland, USA; Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, 1938-1946; NAID: 1263923; Record Group Title: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1789-ca. 2007; Record Group: 64; Box Number: 05342; Reel: 198

National Archives at College Park, College Park, Maryland, USA; List of Names of American Airmen Reported Missing in Action [3 of 4]; Record Group 498: Records of Headquarters, European Theater of Operation, United States Army (World War II); Series: List of Names of American Airmen Reported Missing in Action; NAID: 631849428.

National Archives at St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63138; Morning Reports for December 1944: Roll 497; Record Group 64: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration; Series: Morning Reports; NAID: 578771568.

National Archives at St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63138; Morning Reports for August 1944: Roll 657; Record Group 64: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration; Series: Morning Reports; NAID: 567118788.

National Archives at St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63138; Morning Reports for April 1944: Roll 692 (1 of 4); Record Group 64: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration; Series: Morning Reports; NAID: 469632575.

National Archives at St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63138; Morning Reports for April 1944: Roll 698 (5 of 5); Record Group 64: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration; Series: Morning Reports; NAID: 469661047.

National Archives at St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63138; Air Force Award Cards [Air Medal]: Cathrall, Eugene – Chamberland, Normand; Record Group 64: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration; Series: Award Cards; NAID: 138751104.

"Kearney Goes to War", Nebraska Public Media, Nebraska Stories, Air Date: 1/18/2018, accessed at https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/series-media/nebraska-stories-video/season-9-video-15886/kearney-goes-to-war-50005036/ on September 22, 2026.

"Sgt. Cecere Believed Dead", Utica Daily Press, Utica, NY, January 21, 1946, pg. 11.

"U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012"; School Name: Utica Free Academy; Year: 1941

"Utica Soldier Declared Dead", Syracuse Herald-Journal, January 21, 1946, pg. 5

Vito Antonio Cecere Obituary, Utica Daily Press, Utica, NY, December 22, 1949.

Year: 1930; Census Place: Utica, Oneida, New York; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 0101; FHL microfilm: 2341356

Supporting Documents 

Above are Morning Reports from Thurleigh, England Dec. 1944 showing him getting furlough and then returning to duty.