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Grimaldi, Anthony J.

Grimaldi, Anthony J.


 
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Anthony J. Grimaldi grew up in Rye and lived at 29 Grapel St.. During the Korean War, Anthony served in the U.S. Air Force.
Date of Birth: 1 Sep 1929
Died On: 19 May 1997
Street Address: 29 Grapel St.
Service Number: 104201359
Branch of Service: U.S. Air Force


Veteran Code: KOR-75


BIOGRAPHY Search for Newspaper Articles on this Veteran Extended Information
 
Anthony Joseph Grimaldi

Anthony Grimaldi was born in New York in 1916. In Rye his family lived at 29 Grapal St. and were members of the Church of the Resurrection. Anthony was a Rye High School Graduate, Class of 1934. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.

In the early 1940's, Anthony served as a state trooper in Rye, N.Y., until his enrollment with the Army Air Corps. During World. War II.

He was a first lieutenant and a B 17 navigator with the 546 Bombardment Squadron, 384th Bombardment Group H, stationed in England. He participated in 25 combat missions over Germarny and survived two crash landings.

Anthony's Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was named the the "Doris Mae". Here you can read the Complete Record of Missions flown by Anthony and his crew throught the war. Including targets and post sortie mission reports.

The The 546th Bombardment Squadron arrived at its combat station, RAF Grafton Underwood on 6 June 1943. Anthony primarily flew missions in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany, striking air bases and industrial targets in France and Germany. The squadron participated in a raid on aircraft factories in Germany on 11 January 1944 for which it was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC).

Anthony's squadron was occasionally diverted from the strategic bombing campaign to fly air support and interdiction missions. It attacked targets along the coast of Normandy to support Operation Overlord, continuing these attacks through D-Day, when it attacked airfields and communications facilities beyond the beachhead.

On 24 and 25 July 1944, it supported Operation Cobra, the breakout at Saint Lo with attacks on strong points just beyond enemy lines. It hit armor and artillery concentrations near Eindhoven to support Operation Market Garden, the attempt to seize a bridgehead across the Rhine in the Netherlands during September 1944.

It attacked enemy fortifications and communications during the Battle of the Bulge from December 1944 through January 1945. When the Allies attacked across the Rhine in Germany in March 1945, it attacked rail facilities, including marshalling yards and bridges to cut enemy supply lines. The squadron flew its last combat mission on 25 April 1945

Anthony Grimaldi's decorations include the Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal with Five Oakleaf Clusters.

After his military service, he was a superintendent with Intecounty Construction Company, where he played a significant role in the growth of this small famly owned construction concern into a significant privately-held pipeline and subway project entity based in Hyattsville, Md.

In the mid 1970s, Intercounty was acquired by Westinghouse as part of its holdings diversification program. From 1978 until his retirement in 1982, he served as a project cost estimator for Cardinal and Sons Construction in Reisterstown, Md.

Anthony 'Tony' Joseph Grimaldi, 82, died Monday, Nov. 23, 1998, at his home from complications of heart bypass surgery.

At the time of his death he was survived by his wife of 45 years, Ragnihild ''Ronnie'' Grimaldi; a son, Christopher Grimaldi of Eldersburg, Md.; a daughter, Joan Alagna of Ellicott City, Md.; three beloved grandchildren, David Anthony Grimaldi, Kelly Marie Alagna and Jason Michael Alagna; one brother; and three sisters.

Anthony Grimaldi is buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va.

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