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| Sgt. Urho Pitakamki served with the 45th Infantry Division at Anzio. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/90962410/urho-v-pitkamaki The Fighting Forty-Fifth: The Combat Report of an Infantry Division |
Urho V. Pitkamaki never had a chance to reach 100 years old. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
Last year I was not able to write a profile everyday from September to November because I was studying for the Certified Financial Planner test (I passed!). I feel my project to honor one U.S. serviceman for each day of the war would be incomplete if I left them off. As I have time, I am going back and adding profiles for the days I missed.
Urho was born on September 25, 1918 in Michigan. His parents Isaac and Amanda were both born in Finland. His father worked as a farmer, he died in 1931. Urho had an older brother and two older sisters. By 1940 Urho was still living on the family farm helping his mother. He had completed eight years of education.
He was drafted into the army on June 4, 1941. He became a sergeant in Company F, 2nd Battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division (nicknamed "Thunderbirds"). The 45th Infantry Division took part in the invasion of Sicily and the landing at Salerno.
Next it was sent to participate in the Anzio landing. The Americans landed on January 22, 1944. On February 18, 1944 the Germans launched a major counterattack that nearly succeeded in overrunning the 180th IR. The men were outnumbered and low on ammunition and had to repel another attack on February 20. Efforts to relieve the Thunderbirds were thwarted by the Germans. Sgt. Pitkamaki's unit came under heavy artillery fire and had to deal with infiltrating German troops on February 23, 1944, the date he was killed in action. Only about one fourth of the Thunderbirds survived death or wounds during this part of the Anzio battle.
His grave is at Pine Grove Cemetery in Chatham, Michigan.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
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