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| Pvt. Joseph Zappala served in the 23rd Materiel Squadron at Hickam Field during the Pearl Harbor attack. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/137538052/joseph-s-zappala https://ww2db.com/image.php?image_id=27201 |
Joseph Sebastino Zappala never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
He was born on December 10, 1919 in Lawrence, Massachusetts. His parents Carmelo and Pietrino were both born in Italy. They came to America in 1900 and 1906, respectively. His father worked as a barber. Joseph had four older sisters, one older brother (John), two younger sisters, and one young brother. By 1940 Joseph was still living at home. He had completed one year of high school and was working as an auto mechanic.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in September 1940. He became a private in the 23rd Materiel Squadron. This unit was assigned to Hickam Field in Hawaii to provide ground support for air units and was there on December 7, 1941.
When the Japanese attacked Hickam Field, not only were Pvt. Zappala and his fellow troops caught by surprise, they were further at risk because Hickam had no antiaircraft guns, no air raid shelters, and no slit trenches.
Shortly before 8 am on December 7, 1941, 17 Val dive-bombers and nine Zero fighters swooped down flying below 200 feet and bombed and strafed the barracks, hangers, and fighters & bombers parked wingtip to wingtip. Pvt. Zappala was very possibly one of the very first Americans killed that day. If he somehow survived the first attack, he was killed when the second wave brought 27 Kate high-level bombers and another 18 Zeros.
Pvt. Zappala was one of ten men from his squadron killed on December 7.
On February 22, 1944 his brother John Zappala, a tech sergeant in the 381st Bombardment Group, was killed on a bombing mission to Osherleben, Germany when his B-17 was shot down by an Me109.
Their graves are at Mount Hope Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts.
ALEXANDER COURAGE
On the same date that Joseph Zappala was born, Alexander Courage was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He gradated with a music degree from the Eastman School of Music in 1941.
During the war Courage served in the Army Air Forces where he was stationed in the western United States.
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| https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Alexander_Courage |
He died in May 2008.
Last year on this date I profiled Silver Star hero Cecil Fuquay, 101st Airborne Division. You can read about Cecil here.
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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