Hero
Private First Class Midday Delfonte
| Name | Midday Delfonte |
| Rank | Private First Class |
| Army Serial # | 35739354 |
| State | West Virginia |
| Date of death | 1944-12-29 |
| Plot, Row, Grave | F, 16, 3 |
| Cemetery | Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Henri-Chapelle, Belgium, Google Maps |
| Unit | Anti Tank Company, 329th Infantry Regiment, 83rd Infantry Division |
| Awards |  |
| Remarks | Sgt. Walter L. Arnold served with Pfc. Midday Delfonte and these men where good friends. Pfc. Delfone is mentioned on Sgt. Arnold's website which you can find here sergeant-arnold.com. The site tells
the following about December the 29th: The next morning, we were moving out somewhere near Rochefort, Belgium. The Germans laid down one of the hellish artillery barrages. John Balistere was hit in the thigh, and the metal went all the way through the bone and his leg was up under his stomach. He was screaming for help. I had to roll him over. On my right, Midday Delfonte was hit through the steal helmet head and all and he died within two minutes. When this shelling was going on, I felt the Lord push me to the ground. I heard the shelling coming. It started a few yards up the road and was making its way along the road to where we were. When the Lord pushed me to the ground, lying there I was not that afraid. I was looking up. I could see the shells exploding all around us, the tree tops were falling, etc. After I did all I could for these men, I sent one of my men down on the road, to get help. Help was not too far away. I then took Delfonte's gun, stuck it into the ground and put his helmet on it so people coming looking for the dead could see where he was. Sgt. Arnold visited Pfc Delfonte in 1999 again and you can read about that on his website. Private 1st Class Delfonte is also mentioned in the morning report for July 21, 1944 on page 28 shows him being light wounded in action on July 20, 1944 and transfered to the 34th Evac Hospital. Page 28 can be seen here as well. This is probably why he already had a Purple Heart at the time of his death. |
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