Anthony Vincent Amitrano was born January 23, 1914 in Oneonta, NY to Michael Amitrano (1878-1936) and Gicomina (Jane) Balzano (1878 abt -1959). His mom arrived in the United States, already married to Michael, on October 24, 1907 aboard the S.S. Campania. According to the 1930 US Census his parents were both from Italy. On that same Census his father reported being a “Trackman” with the local D&H Railroad in Oneonta. Anthony was the fifth of eight children. Mary, Carmilla, Rose and Samuel were his older siblings and Angelina, Ralph and Virginia were younger. According to that same 1930 Census he was the first of the Amitrano children to go to school. He graduated from Oneonta High School in 1937 where his nickname was “Peaches”. He was considered the “Michael de Angelo” of the school and he was on their bowling team. The family lived on Grand St., Oneonta, NY while Anthony was growing up.

He managed the Grand Union store in Stamford, NY for a time and at some point moved to the Albany, NY area (Schenectady County). There he worked for Henry Schaffer, likely at the Empire Supermarket (known as the Shaffer Store) on 135 Broadway in Schenectady, NY. He registered for the draft in Albany, NY and on on March 21, 1941 was drafted into the Army with service number 32044983. He was all of 5' 9” tall and 147lbs with brown eyes, black hair and a ruddy complexion. His younger brother Ralph was also a veteran.

Cannon Companies in WWII usually consisted of units with a 105-mm howitzer, antitank rocket launcher, and the caliber .50 machine gun. They also included their own trucks, maintainers and support crews. The general mission of the cannon company is to provide close and continuous fire support to the regiment. This is accomplished by the maintenance of close liaison with supported units, and the rapid delivery of fires, either on call or on the initiative of platoon or section observers, against hostile targets immediately opposing the regiment.

From the time of his entering the service in March 1941 until he lands on Omaha Beach in June of 1944 I have so far been unable to track him. He likely followed the same path as the 23rd Infantry Regiment he ultimately is assigned to. The 23rd moved to Camp McCoy in Wisconsin in November 1942, leaving there for New York City in October 1943. From New York City they sailed to Northern Ireland and later, in April 1944 to South Wales.

From South Wales The 23rd Infantry landed on Omaha Beach with the first invasion forces. In slow, painful hedgerow fighting, the Regiment inched its way forward day after day against hard fighting enemy paratroop elements. St. Georges d'Elle, Hill 192 (which commanded St. Lo), St. Jean des Baisants, Etouvy, Vire, Truttemer le Grand and Tinchebray were scenes of bitter fighting up to August when the organized German resistance in Normandy collapsed.t,

After an overnight motor march of 210 miles west to Brest, the Regiment battled the 2nd German Paratroop Division which fanatically defended the surrounding hills and villages.

The fighting was intense, with the troops moving from house to house. The fortifications (both French and German built) proved very difficult to overcome, and heavy artillery barrages were fired by both sides. According to Army Hospital Admissions records, Private Amitrano was killed September 4, 1944 in the battle of Brest.

Private First Class Amitrano’s body was returned home aboard the SS Carroll Victory, arriving in New York City on October 12, 1948. It was transferred to a train and arrived in Oneonta, NY on October 19, 1948. Full military honor was given him at his funeral. He never married and leaves a grateful nation. He was buried in the Calvary Cemetery in Oneonta, NY where a bronze marker, sent to a Virginia Harmon (his sister), was put on his grave.

Sources

About the 23rd Infantry, accessed at https://www.menofcompanyd.com/Men_of_Company_D/About_23rd.html, on June 10, 2023.

Cannon Company, Infantry Regiment, War Department, 28 March 1944, U.S. Goverment Printing Office, Washington, D.C. : 1944

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/106631217/anthony-vincent-amitrano: accessed 17 December 2023), memorial page for PFC Anthony Vincent Amitrano (23 Jan 1914–4 Sep 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 106631217, citing Mount Calvary Cemetery, Emmons, Otsego County, New York, USA; Maintained by Looking For Loved Ones (contributor 50883347).

Individual Deceased Personnel File for Pfc. Anthony Amitrano, National Archives, St. Louis, MI.

“Military Rites Held For Soldier”, Oneonta Daily Star, October 21, 1948, pg. 3

The Oneontan, Oneonta High School Yearbook, 1937, accessed via Ancestry.com, June 12, 2022.

U.S. WWII Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954, Amitrano, Anthony V, Fold3.com; accessed at https://www.fold3.com/record/704682442/amitrano-anthony-v-us-wwii-hospital-admission-card-files-1942-1954, Sept. 6, 2022.

United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls.

"U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963" database with images Fold3 (https://www.fold3.com/publication/926/headstone-applications-1925-1963: accessed September 6, 2022)

"World War II Army Enlistment Records" database with images Fold3 (https://www.fold3.com/publication/831/wwii-army-enlistment-records: accessed September 6, 2022)

"World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel, 1946" database with images Fold3 (https://www.fold3.com/publication/893/wwii-army-and-army-air-force-casualty-list: accessed September 6, 2022)

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