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| Lt. Benjamin Fitzgerald served with the 82nd Airborne Division at Salerno. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42823627/benjamin-l-fitzgerald https://twitter.com/82ndabndiv/status/907181935683821568 |
Benjamin was born on October 22, 1919 in Dolores, Colorado. His parents Benjamin and Lula were both born in Nebraska. His father worked as a farmer and later in a sawmill. Benjamin was an only child. He graduated from Dolores High School in 1936, entered Colorado A&M College, and upon graduation in May 1941 was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army. He married the former Joanne McMurdo in December 1941 and they had a son.
Upon completion of training, Lt. Fitzgerald was assigned to Battery B, 319th Glider Field Artillery Battalion of the 82nd Airborne Division. The 319th GFAB sailed for North Africa in April 1943 and saw its first combat action in Italy in September 1943 in a seaborne invasion of Naples, becoming the first U.S. airborne artillery unit to engage the enemy in WWII. 1Lt. Fitzgerald was killed in action on 6 October 1943 in Salerno, Italy and was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his actions. His citation reads:
The President of the United States of America, ... takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to First Lieutenant (Field Artillery) Benjamin L. Fitzgerald (ASN: 0-445349), United States Army, for gallantry in action on or about 6 October 1943, at ****, Italy. Lieutenant Fitzgerald, Reconnaissance Officer, Battery B, 319th Glider Field Artillery Battalion, 82d Airborne Division, with a group of soldiers acting as forward observers in ****, was forced by concentrated artillery and rifle fire to evacuate the post. He covered the departure of his group through sniper fire directed against the only door of the house they occupied. Throughout their movement from ****, Lieutenant Fitzgerald kept his men ahead of him and served as a rear-guard against snipers. When they reached their rendezvous, Lieutenant Fitzgerald was missing and later found dead. With coolness, courage and unswerving devotion to duty, he had set the safety of his men above his own in a manner after the highest traditions of the Army.
Benjamin Lee Fitzgerald is buried in Grandview Cemetery in Fort Collins, Colorado. I could not find any information about his wife and son.
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This profile was written by Bob Fuerst. "I’m a NASA engineer, B-17 Flying Fortress enthusiast, and amateur genealogist so this kind of research is an ideal outlet for me. But more than anything, it’s a way to express my sincere appreciation for The Greatest Generation and the sacrifices that they made, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice. They should never be forgotten and I’m grateful to Don for allowing me to play a small part in honoring them."
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