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| Sgt Alberto Salvo was a gunner on the B-24 The Sad Sack based in England. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/109753181/alberto-o_-salvo http://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/159 |
Alberto O. Salvo never had a chance to reach 100 years old. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
I began this project on January 1, 2017. It will conclude on September 2, 2020, the 75th anniversary of the end of World War 2. During the intervening time, a different fallen serviceman was profiled every day on his 100th birthday. I have decided to round out the project by profiling one of the fallen born between December 7, 1916 and December 31, 1916. This will result in one of the fallen being profiled for every day America was engaged in World War 2. The total will be 1,366 men and women. That's enough for only 13 stars out of the 4,048 on the Freedom Wall of the World War II Memorial.
Alberto was born on December 10, 1916 in Boston, Massachusetts. I couldn't find census information about his family, but I am guessing his parents immigrated from Italy.
He volunteered for the Army Air Forces on January 20, 1942. Enlistment records show he was 6 feet tall, weighing 190 pounds. He had completed two years of college. He became a sergeant in the 66th Bombardment Squadron, 44th Bombardment Group which was the very first unit in England to use B-24 Liberators. It began flying missions in November 1942.
On February 26, 1943, Sgt. Salvo was a gunner on the B-24 41-23804 that went by the name The Sad Sack. The target that day was the Wilhelmshaven port and docks. It was a combined effort of B-17s and B-24s, before planners realized that the different airspeeds and other specifications did not create a good match for them to fly in the same formations. The Sad Sack was in the group of bombers in the lowest position of the formation, most vulnerable to enemy fighters. With overcast too dense, the mission had to be changed, but not before The Sad Sack was badly shot up by German fighters -- disabling two engines and creating a fire in the bomb bay area. They tried to make a run for Sweden, but when the bomber continued to struggle, the order was given for everyone to bail out.
Sgt. Salvo may have been wounded at the time. He was still alive when he parachuted into Germany, but he died in the hospital later that day. Two other crewmen were killed and the others became POWs.
His grave is at Mount Hope Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts.
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
See about getting his headstone replaced.
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