Samuel P. Gagliardo was born in 1915 to Frank and Grace Gagliardo, who migrated to the US from Italy looking for a better life. Samuel had 10 brothers and sisters and his family resided at 107 Maple Avenue and were members of the Church of the Resurrection. Samuel attended Rye High School in the early 1930s. By the time the war came Sam was on his own and married. He enlisted and served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
 A true patriot, Samuel left his home and his wife to enlist in the army to defend his country in February 1944. He trained at Camp Blanding FL and was assigned to overseas service that August. He was a Sergeant in the 115th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Infantry Division. Samuel was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, Company L, from replacement depot to duty on September 1, 1944.
Operation Queen was the Allied plan to advance to the Rohr River through the Hurtgen Forest . On D-Day November 16th, the 29th Division would start the advance and the 115th regiment attempted to seize a coal mine north of the German town of Setterich. The purpose of the mission was to try and control the surrounding area of the town instead of attacking it head on.
In previous engagements U.S. troops would directly attack towns and force German troops to attack them from its outskirts, inflicting on them numerous casualties. Unfortunately, on November 16 - 17, 1944 this alternative new strategy of surrounding a town did not work, and the results were catastrophic. The 115th came under withering fire from German machine guns, artillery and mortar from the garrison of Setterich.
A battalion each of the 115th and 175th Infantry Regiments attacked due east against Setterich but gained no more than a few hundred yards. Small arms fire from deep zigzag trenches pinned the men to the flat, exposed ground, whereupon German mortars and artillery worked them over. It was a lamentable repetition of what had happened on D Day to the 115th Infantry’s Company C, when they were annihilated on Omaha Beach.
The advance was halted and the 115th waited until the following day, November 17 before resuming at 12:30 pm its movement. Unfortunately, the results were the same: many casualties caused by overwhelming firepower.
In the future this alternative to direct attacks on German towns was abandoned. However, Samuel did not live to see it, he was killed in action on 11/17/1944 during the second advance and was one of 33,000 Allied soldiers killed or wounded in the infamous Battle of the Hurtgen Forest. The entire plan of Operation Queen was abandoned less than a month later as the Germans mounted their own attack which would be forever known as The Battle of The Bulge.
At the time of his death Samuel was survived by his wife Angelina and a two year old son, Frank. Also surviving were his parents, his four brothers ; Anthony, Frank, Daniel and Leonard and three sisters; Jennie, Catherine and Alice.
On August 26, 1950 the City of Rye dedicated a playground and ballfield in memory of Samuel P. Gagliardo. He was the only serviceman from West Rye to die during WWII.
Samuel Gagliardo Reported Missing
Word has been received that Sgt. Samuel Gagliardo, of 232 Central Avenue, has been missing in action since
November 17. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Gagliardo, 107 Maple Avenue, and has three brothers in the
service. His wife is the former Angelina Barbera and they have a two year-old son. Sgt. Gagliardo was inducted in Feb-
ruary and was assigned to overseas service in August. His brother, Sgt. Anthony Gagliardo, was wounded in France on August 27 and is now recuperating in an English hospital. Cpl. Frank Gagliardo, stationed in New Guinea, is now on Furlough in Australia. A third brother, Pfc. Daniel Gagliardo is stationed in California. The missing soldier is twenty-nine
years old. He is a graduate of Rye High School and a member of the Church of the Resurrection.
RYE, NEW YORK FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1944
Samuel Gagliardo Killed in Germany
Sergeant Samuel Gagliardo, 29-year old infantryman, has been reported killed in action in Germany on November 17. Last week the War Department advised his wife, the former Angelina Barbara, 232 Central Avenue, that he was missing. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Gagliardo, 109 Maple Avenue, who have three other sons in the service. Born in Rye, Sgt. Gagliardo was graduated from Rye High School and was emploved bv Life Savers Corp, before being inducted into service in February, 1944. Besides his parents and wife, he is survived by a two-year old son, Frank; four brothers, Sgt. Anthony, wounded in France last August and TOW confined to an Army hospital in England; Cpl. Frank in New Guinea; Pfc Daniel, in California, and Leonard, of Port Chester; also four sisters, Mrs. Andrew Palermo and Mrs. Jeerome LaDestro, of Port Chester, Elaine and Alice Gagliardo, of Rye
RYE, NEW VORK FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1944
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