On this day in 1945, the 10th Mountain Division (the U.S. Army’s mountain warfare unit during World War II), remembered the lives of their fallen in a memorial service held at the U.S. Military Cemetery in Castelfiorentino, Italy.
The service included music by the Army Band; prayers by Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish chaplains; a memorial address by Major General George P. Hays; the placing of a wreath; and the firing of volleys. It concluded with a bugler playing “Taps.”
In 1949, those interred at Castelfiorentino and other temporary cemeteries were relocated to the Florence American Cemetery, a 70-acre cemetery situated alongside the Greve River. New York architects McKim, Mead and White along with landscape architects Clarke and Rapuano designed the cemetery and memorial, which was completed in 1959.
Of the 4,402 servicemen and women interred at the Florence American Cemetery, 355 were part of the 10th Mountain Division. At last year’s Memorial Day service at the cemetery, Boy Scouts placed carnations on the graves of the 10th Mountain Division’s fallen.
To learn more about the 10th Mountain Division and its ties to Colorado, check out DPL’s 10th Mountain Division Resource Center—the official repository for all records and artifacts related to the World War II 10th Mountain Division.
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I remember 2 things very…
I remember 2 things very clearly about my Dad's Stateside funeral in Calhoun Georgia, our home town. First was the tremendous number of fresh flowers at the Funeral and the 21 Gun Salute at the Cemetery. There were so many flowers the smell was almost overwhelming. Lots of local folk sent flowers for my Dad. At the Cemetery, I would jerk each time one of the shots were fired. We never saw one another. He wrote Mother telling her he didn't think he would make it back alive and asked her to name me Willie Calvin Jr. after him. My older brother who clearly remembered Dad was always a little angry because I was the Junior instead of me. I remember once hearing my Mom tell David that he should not be upset because he had memory of Dad playing games with him but I never would. He understood but always resented it a little.
My Mom’s cousin Sal was part
My Mom’s cousin Sal was part of a large Sicilian family from the Carrollton section of New Orleans. My entire life I heard about Sal and the love everyone had for him including my grandpa whose eyes “lit up” when he would see his nephew, the son he never had. Cousin Rosemary recalled the sadness in the house the evening everyone gathered. Sal was a Private with the 363rd Infantry, company C, and died September 26, 1944 around Luca, not far from Lajatico, Italy. I wish to thank him for the freedoms we have enjoyed since WW II and while I have taught my own children the cost and value of freedom, I am so sorry to see that a truly uninformed half of our country today has no idea of what they are asking for as they lean towards Democratic candidates espousing the myths of Socialism. Thanks Sal for your life. Thank you Rosemae and Rochelle for sharing, your cousin Paul Abadie, USN-R
My grandfather Sam Gallegos
My grandfather Sam Gallegos was kia April 16 1945 buried in Florence Italy... His daughter Loretta passed 1 21 20 we will never forget either.
My father fought with the
My father fought with the 10th Mt and came home with 2 purple hearts. Lost his best friend over there.
My uncle, Sgt Ralph Brainard
My uncle, Sgt Ralph Brainard,85 l 10th mountain, told a story about hill 913 his machine gun squad went around a hedge row and across a field and got behind a rock outcrop. About 30 minutes later some more 10th mountain tried to cross the same area and really caught it bad. It was a mine field .He figured it was to cold to set them off when they crossed . My oldest son is going to name his first boy Ralph to honor him.
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