Vieceli, Livio

Date of birth:: May 13th, 1916 (North Huntingdon Township/Pennsylvania, United States)
Date of death:: March 26th, 1944
Buried on:: Florence American Cemetery and Memorial
Plot: D. Row: 2. Grave: 38.
Nationality:: American

Biography

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Silver Star Medal (SSM)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Technical Sergeant
Unit:: 2677th OSS Company, Office of Strategic Services (OSS), U.S. Government
Awarded on:: 1946

"For gallantry in action while serving with the 2677th Company, Office of Strategic Services, in action against the enemy on the nights of 22 and 23 March 1944 in the European Theater of Operations. Technical Sergeant Vieceli was a member of an operational group consisting of two officers and 13 enlisted men, whose mission it was to land behind the enemy's lines and demolish or block an important railway tunnel. Despite the announcement by the Germans that all Allied saboteurs captured behind the lines would be executed, Technical Sergeant Vieceli volunteered for this hazardous duty. To avoid detection, landing boats had returned to Corsica after putting the raiders ashore. Plans were to pick up the saboteurs the subsequent night, upon completion of the mission. Two attempts were made by pursuit torpedo boats to retrieve the party, both of them unsuccessful. Later, information was received that the party had been captured and no precise accounts were receive until 1946 when it was learned that the group had been brutally executed four days after it had landed. The soldier's graves were located and all 15 men were found buried together with their hands bound behind them. His gallant actions and dedicated devotion to duty, without regard for his own life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army."

Headquarters, U.S. Army Forces, Mediterranean Theater of Operations, General Orders No. 23 (posthumously awarded)

Prisoner of War Medal

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Technical Sergeant
Unit:: 2677th OSS Company, Office of Strategic Services (OSS), U.S. Government

"Technical Sergeant Livio Vieceli (ASN: 33037797), United States Army, was captured by German forces during a mission behind enemy lines in Italy on 23 March 1944, and was held as a Prisoner of War until his execution in captivity on or about 27 March 1944."