Chester Louis Pelliccioni
SGT in 3132nd Signal Service Co : 1st Platoon
ASN#33183089 Casualty: Killed
Born 1917 in PA, Died 1945
County of residence at enlistment: Cambria County, PA
Other residence(s): Altoona, PA; Cresson PA
United States Army, European Theatre of Operations
Occupation before the war: sales clerks
Chester Pelliccioni was born on June 9, 1917, in Sankertown, PA, the second of four children. His parents had both been born in Italy; his father operated a grocery store in Cresson, PA.
Chet had a year of high school and then went to work as a sales clerk (possibly at his father's store). He registered for the draft on October 16, 1940, and married Mary Hart the following year.
On April 21, 1942, he enlisted in the Army, and became part of the 3132 Signal Service Company, where he drove a sonic half-track. He was killed on January 9th, 1945 during Operation Metz-2. The unit was impersonating the 90th Division, which involved a lot of "Special Effects" that had them spending many hours outdoors in bitterly cold weather. “Weege,” as he was called by his family (no doubt for the Italian version of his middle name), was killed when a fire he made exploded an unseen German grenade.
Courtesy Claudia Hickey
Chet's younger brother, Aurelius ("A.J."), also served during World War II. He enlisted two weeks after Chet, and was stationed in the Sudan with the Army Air Corps. Luckily for the family, A.J. came home in one piece, went to college on the GI Bill, taught public school for 34 years, raised two daughters with his wife, lived 29 years in a full and active retirement, and died at the age of 91. The line between death and survival in war is a fine one.
Sources:
1920 census
1940 draft card
1942 enlistment record
1945 Find a Grave record
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/55069831/chester-louis-pelliccioni
1950 Pennsylvania US Veterans Compensation File (parents made claim)