Born Francesco A. Sammartino on 20 Nov 1910 in Dunkirk, New York, Frank (the name he apparently used most of his life) was the 5th of the 6 children born to Ignatius Henry and Ann (Capenella) Sammartino. His father worked in a locomotive shop and as a carpenter in a seed factory earning a reported 1939 income of $540. Frank hand completed 2-years of high school and had married Frances Godlewski in September 1931. The couple would have a daughter in January 1932. He was working as a musician in a dance band in 1940, had only worked 4 weeks and reported a 1939 income of $200.
Frank was drafted in April 1942 and after his basic military training was sent to England and assigned to Headquarters 3rd Battalion 116th Infantry as a truck driver. He trained for and participated in the D-Day landings at Omaha Beach on 6 Jun 1944 and continued to serve with the unit until killed in action on 5 Jul 1944.
PVT Samartino rests forever in the Normandy American Cemetery.
No comments:
Post a Comment