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Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company A, 148th
Infantry, 37th Infantry Division. Place and date: South Manila, Luzon,
Philippine Islands, 9 February 1945. Entered service at: Waynesburg, Ohio.
Birth: Waynesburg, Ohio. G.O. No.: 115, 8 December 1945. Citation: He was
with troops assaulting the first important line of enemy defenses. The
Japanese had converted the partially destroyed Manila Gas Works and adjacent
buildings into a formidable system of mutually supporting strongpoints
from which they were concentrating machinegun, mortar, and heavy artillery
fire on the American forces. Casualties rapidly mounted, and the medical
aid men, finding it increasingly difficult to evacuate the wounded, called
for volunteer litter bearers. Pfc. Cicchetti immediately responded, organized
a litter team and skillfully led it for more than 4 hours in rescuing 14
wounded men, constantly passing back and forth over a 400-yard route which
was the impact area for a tremendous volume of the most intense enemy fire.
On 1 return trip the path was blocked by machinegun fire, but Pfc. Cicchetti
deliberately exposed himself to draw the automatic fire which he neutralized
with his own rifle while ordering the rest of the team to rush past to
safety with the wounded. While gallantly continuing his work, he noticed
a group of wounded and helpless soldiers some distance away and ran to
their rescue although the enemy fire had increased to new fury. As he approached
the casualties, he was struck in the head by a shell fragment, but with
complete disregard for his gaping wound he continued to his comrades, lifted
1 and carried him on his shoulders 50 yards to safety. He then collapsed
and died. By his skilled leadership, indomitable will, and dauntless courage,
Pfc. Cicchetti saved the lives of many of his fellow soldiers at the cost
of his own.
This data was extracted from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Senate, Medal of Honor Recipients: 1863-1973 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1973)
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