Calautti, Ralph

Description

Ralph Calautti was born May 20 1921 to Salvatore Calautti in Norwich Conn. He had two sisters Josephine and Elanor and Ralph attended Rye Neck schools.

In Rye his family lived at 374 Midland Ave and were members of the Church of the Resurrection. Ralph enlisted and served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

Ralph served with the famed 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment in Africa and Europe.

The 509th PIR carried out the first American combat jump during the invasion of North Africa.

During the Battle of the Bulge in late 1944, the 509th fought in Belgium to blunt the German attack. An account of this battle is described in the book “Bloody Clash at Sadzot.” The 509th Infantry Regiment’s service during World War II concluded at the end of January 1945 near St. Vith, Belgium.

Of the original 700 paratroopers who entered the battle, approximately ninety-three percent were injured.

Wounded twice’ once In the thigh and once in the head’ Ralph was awarded the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star among his many numerous medals. Shortly after the guns were silenced in Europe Ralph was sent home and discharged with 156 points
From 1939 to 1948 he was a boxer in the Miami area and won a welterweight championship. On June 22 1947 he married Catherine LaBella in Port Chester and they had two daughters.

After the war Ralph was an employee of Burlington Industries in New Jersey. After retiring in 1988 he moved to Edgewater Fl., he had lived in Port Chester for 45 years.

Ralph was a member of the New Smyrna Beach (Fla) Disabled American Veterans Chapter No 53 and the National Order of Trench Rats DAV Dugout No 568.

He also was a member of New Smyrna Beach Elks Lodge No 1557, a Meals’ on Wheels and blood drive volunteer, a member of New Smyrna Beach Masonic Lodge No 149 and a 32nd degree member of the Scottish Rites and Shriners Bahia Temple

Ralph Joseph Calautti a former Port Chester resident who moved to Edgewater Fla six years ago died Saturday at Halifax Hospital Medical Center in Daytona Beach Fla He was 72

At the time of his death he was survived by his wife Catherine “Kay” Calautti two daughters Sally Ann Zanno of Millbrook NY and Janie Lees of Tampa Fla two sisters Eleanor Gaeta of Ridgefield Conn and Josephine LaBella of Sunrise Fla his stepmother Rose Calautti of Sunrise and five grandchildren

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88575413/obituary-…