San Francisco, California. (November 1, 2024): Italian Americans overcame prejudice, stereotypes, and even questions of loyalty to serve in the Armed forces. In this photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Jesse Monford, Marines assigned to the 1st Marine Division Band and sailors assigned to the Navy Band Southwest participate in the San Francisco Italian Heritage Parade during San Francisco Fleet Week.
According to the Department of Defense, Italian Americans fought in every major U.S. conflict since the beginning of the Republic, offering suffering casualties that far exceeded their share of the U.S. population.
In the American Civil War, between 5,000 and 10,000 Italian Americans fought in the war, including suffering alongside General George Washinton at Valley Forge. In World War I, Italian troops made up about 12% of the total American forces yet accounted for more than 10% of war casualties. During the conflict Michael Valente, an Italian-born American infantryman, was awarded the Medal of Honor.
In World War II, however, things did not go so well for Italian Americans. When Benito Mussolini entered the war on the side of Hitler, American authorities began to view Italian Americans with suspicion,. Considered “Enemy Aliens,” Italian citizens had to abide by curfews and turn in their weapons, radios, and cameras. Most could not travel more than five miles from home without getting permission. The FBI began arresting Italians claiming they were a threat to national security and many were sent to the same camps where the Japanese were interned.
Despite this, large numbers of Italian Americans enthusiastically served in the U.S. military during World War II. Between 750,000 and 1.5 million people of Italian descent served in the war, about ten percent of all soldiers, and fourteen Italian Americans received the Medal of Honor for their service.
Some notable Italian American heroes include:
Colonel Henry Mucci: A West Point graduate who rescued five hundred American prisoners during the Bataan Death March. He was nominated for a Medal of Honor and received the Distinguished Service Cross.
Major Don Gentile: Shot down thirty Nazi fighter planes, making him the deadliest fighter pilot in American military history.
John Basilone: A Marine Corps gunnery sergeant who was famous for his actions in the Battle of Guadalcanal and the Battle of Iwo Jima. He was the only enlisted Marine to receive both the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross.
In addition to serving in uniform, thousands of Italian immigrants helped provide the labor for American factories building planes, ships, tanks, and ammunition for the fighting men overseas. They also worked in the mines and helped build roads, dams, tunnels, and other infrastructure vital to the war effort.
Italian Americans continue to serve our armed forces with great distinction today and their intelligence, skill, and patriotism keep the U.S. armed forces the strongest in the world.