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Personal info

Full name
TORNETTA, Anthony J
Date of birth
20 March 1920
Age
25
Place of birth
Norristown, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Hometown
Norristown, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Military service

Service number
33774516
Rank
Corporal
Function
Intelligence NCO
Unit
17th Airborne Division
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
24 March 1945
Place of death
Between Wesel and Hamminkeln, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
D 4 22

Immediate family

Members
Joseph F. Tornetta (father)
Mary (Ciaccio) Tornetta (mother)
Frank J. Tornetta (brother)
Joseph J. Tornetta (brother)
Lawrence F. Tornetta (brother)
Angelina Tornetta (sister)
Augustus Tornetta (brother)
Charles Tornetta (brother)

More information

Cpl Anthony J. Tornetta graduated form High School and was a policeman detective.

He enlisted in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania on 15 March 1944.

Initially, he was assigned to the 218th CIC Detachment (Airborne) attached to XVIII Airborne Corps and was reassigned to the 17th CIC Detachment (Airborne) attached to the 17th Airborne Division on 15 February 1945 as an Intelligence NCO MOS 631.

On 24 March 1945, he boarded the Phantom Glider as a volunteer to participate in Operation Varsity. The glider was hit by enemy flak, landed on Landing Zone N, caught on fire and came under intense hostile fire killing him and all the occupants of the glider.

Source of information: www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov - WWII Enlistment Record, www.ancestry.com - Family Trees / Veteran Compensation Application File, www.ww2-airborne.us, PDF: A Preliminary Who's Who of U.S. Army Military Intelligence, 17th Airborne Division Historical Report of Operation Varsity, 17th CIC Detachment (Airborne) Morning Reports, The Last Drop, Operation Varsity, 24-25 March 1945 by Stephen L. Wright

Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Des Philippet, Norristown Area High School Yearbook 1938, Lancaster New Era - 7 December 1945