Peter J. Dalessandro

Peter Joseph Dalessandro Technical Sergeant, Company E, 1st Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division Medal of Honor

Born in Watervliet, New York, on 19 May 1918, Peter Joseph Dalessandro enlisted in the United States Army during the Second World War and served with the 9th Infantry Division through the campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, Normandy, and northwest Europe. By December 1944 he was a Technical Sergeant commanding 1st Platoon, Company E, 39th Infantry Regiment, as Allied forces fought desperately to contain the German Ardennes offensive.

On 22 December 1944, near Kalterherberg, Germany, Dalessandro’s platoon was holding a vital road junction when it came under an intense artillery and mortar bombardment followed by repeated infantry assaults. Ignoring the murderous fire, he moved among his men to restore order before occupying an exposed observation post from which he directed mortar fire while engaging the enemy with his rifle. Later, when a second assault threatened to overrun the position, he crawled some 30 yards across open ground to retrieve a light machine gun and fired at point-blank range until it jammed, killing four German soldiers who were about to overrun an aidman and two wounded Americans. As the enemy surrounded his position, Dalessandro remained behind alone, covering his platoon’s withdrawal with grenades while repeatedly calling artillery and mortar fire ever closer to his own location. His final radio transmission, “OK, mortars, let me have it right on this position!”, epitomized his willingness to sacrifice himself to save his comrades. Although the barrage disrupted the German attack, he survived and was taken prisoner.

Liberated at the end of the war, Dalessandro received the Medal of Honor from President Harry S. Truman on 23 August 1945. His decorations included the Medal of Honor, two Silver Stars, the Bronze Star Medal, three Purple Hearts, and the French Croix de Guerre. After returning home he entered public service, serving for many years in the New York State Senate while remaining an active advocate for veterans.

Peter J. Dalessandro died on 15 October 1997 at the age of 79. His courage at Kalterherberg remains one of the finest examples of battlefield leadership in the European campaign, where a single non-commissioned officer’s determination under impossible circumstances saved his company from destruction and secured his place among America’s most distinguished soldiers.