Thomas Bonazza was born January 7, 1920 in Utica, NY to Bruno M. Bonazza (1902-1951) and Victoria Salerno (1904-1955). His parents were married on July 19, 1919. His mom and dad were from Italy. His dad came to the United States (Pennsylvania) when he was nine years old and by 1917 had settled in Utica, NY. I could not find the date him mom entered the country. He had a younger sister Marie (1921-1933) who died when she was 12 years old. His dad was a partner of the B.M. and B. Sand and Gravel Pit at Gravesville, NY and was a communicant of St. Mary of Mt. Carmel Church. The 1940 US Census recorded the family living on Kossuth Ave, in Utica. He was 20 years old by then and working as a chauffeur. He reported having completed school through the sixth grade on this census.

Thomas was a member of the New York National Guard having enlisted November 31, 1939. He was with Company L, 10th Infantry while in the Guard. To prepare for World War II, National Guard units were federalized (automatically put into the service) on October 15, 1940 and Thomas entered the service with service number 20271150. He did his basic training at Fort McClellan, Alabama and Camp Blanding, Florida. He was assigned to the 106th Infantry Regiment (part of the 27th Infantry Division). After Pearl Harbor was attacked the 27th Infantry was deployed to Hawaii to defend the island and prepare for operations in the Pacific.

The 27th Infantry remained on Hawaii for additional jungle training throughout 1942 into early 1943. From Hawaii, just the 106th Infantry Regiment went to Eniwetok Atoll in February 1944 where they had a short but intense fight for the island. From Eniwetok they rejoined the rest of the 27th in June 1944 during the invasion of Saipan. Thomas was in both of these invasions (Eniwetok and Saipan).

A story about him being in the fighting on both islands appeared in a local newspaper. That story quoted him, "They missed me at Saipan and I hope they miss me wherever we are going." he told Cecil H. Dickson of the Gannett News Service. He added that he killed an enemy sniper who was trying to kill him and he ended his story with "Here is one guy who is coming home." After Saipan it was back to Hawaii again until April 1945 when they were sent to Okinawa in March 1945.

Tech5 Bonazza's regiment landed on Okinawa April 1 and where initially involved in mopping up operations in the north. They later shifted to the south where the fiercest fighting was. By late May 1945, the 106th Infantry had been fighting for weeks in the southern Okinawa battle zone, one of the most heavily defended areas on the island.

Around May 27, units of the 106th were pushing through muddy ridges, ravines, and fortified cave systems, encountering entrenched Japanese infantry, heavy mortar and artillery fire and frequent counterattacks, often at night. T/5 Thomas Bonazza was killed in action on Okinawa, May 27, 1945 . He was likely buried in one of the three Ryukyu Islands Cemeteries. In the spring of 1949, during the government's body recovery program, his remains are returned home aboard the USAT Dalton Victory and laid to rest in the family plot at the Calvary Cemetery, Utica, NY.

In October 1950 a bronze plaque containing the names of 10 war dead of Company L, 10th Infantry, NY National Guard was dedicated in ceremonies in the Steuben Park Infantry Armory, Utica, NY. Pvt. (he was a Pvt. while in the Guard) Thomas Bonazza's name was etched on that plaque.

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

"15 More Bodies Returned", Utica Observer-Dispatch, February 21, 1949, pg. [illegible].

Ancestry.com. New York, U.S., World War II Enlisted Men Cards, 1940-1945 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

Appleman, Roy E., Burns, James M., Gugeler, Russell A., Stevens, John, The War in the Pacific, Okinawa: The Last Battle, United States Army in World War II, Historical Division, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C., 1948.

Deaths, Bruno Bonazza, Utica Observer-Dispatch, Utica, NY, September 11, 1951, pg. 4-A.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/152255863/thomas-bonazza: accessed April 4, 2026), memorial page for T/5 Thomas Bonazza (7 Jan 1920–27 May 1945), Find a Grave Memorial ID 152255863, citing Calvary Cemetery, Utica, Oneida County, New York, USA; Maintained by Jeff Hall (contributor 47296194).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/245537337/bruno_m-bonazza: accessed April 4, 2026), memorial page for Bruno M. Bonazza (1902–1951), Find a Grave Memorial ID 245537337, citing Calvary Cemetery, Utica, Oneida County, New York, USA; Maintained by Alison L (contributor 49322344).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/209291424/victoria-bonazzo_deperno: accessed April 4, 2026), memorial page for Victoria Salerno Bonazzo DePerno (25 Apr 1904–27 Mar 1955), Find a Grave Memorial ID 209291424, citing Calvary Cemetery, Utica, Oneida County, New York, USA; Maintained by Kristine Pecheone (contributor 48053098).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/245537351/marie_t-bonazza: accessed April 4, 2026), memorial page for Marie T. Bonazza (8 Oct 1921–3 Nov 1933), Find a Grave Memorial ID 245537351, citing Calvary Cemetery, Utica, Oneida County, New York, USA; Maintained by Alison L (contributor 49322344).

National Archives at College Park; College Park, Maryland, USA; 27th Infantry Division: 6-008; Record Group 407: Records of the Adjutant General's Office; Series: World War II Operational Reports; NAID: 403996552

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: 03383; Reel: 60

National Archives at St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63138; Army and Army Air Force (Air Corp) Rosters, 1940-1943: Number 1640 (3 of 3); Record Group 64: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration; Series: Muster Rolls and Rosters; NAID: 376007688

National Archives at Washington DC; Washington DC, USA; Applications for Headstones For U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1941; NAID: 596118; Record Group Number: 92; Record Group Title: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General

National Archives at St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63138;Fiche_1231;Record Group 64: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration; Series: Army General Orders;NAID: 467313237

New York State Archives; Albany, New York; Collection: New York, New York National Guard Service Cards, 1917-1954; Series: B2001; Film Number: 28

"Soldier's Body Due Wednesday", Utica Observer-Dispatch, March 14, 1949, pg 3.

"Utican Killed, One Wounded on Okinawa", Utica Daily Press, pg. 6, June 28, 1945.

Year: 1930; Census Place: Utica, Oneida, New York; Page: 10B; Enumeration District: 0133; FHL microfilm: 2341356

Year: 1940; Census Place: Utica, Oneida, New York; Roll: m-t0627-02861; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 67-35

Supporting Documents