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Personal info

Full name
ORSINI, Joseph J
Date of birth
20 October 1925
Age
19
Place of birth
Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey
Hometown
Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey

Military service

Service number
42102701
Rank
Private
Function
Rifleman
Unit
355th Infantry Regiment,
89th Infantry Division
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
12 April 1945
Place of death
Tannroda, Thuringia, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
P 17 16

Immediate family

Members
Fred Orsini (father)
Catherine Orsini (mother)
Fred Orsini (brother)

More information

Pvt Joseph J. Orsini enlisted in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey on 20 December 1943.

He was the son of Italian immigrants.

Pvt Orsini joined his unit in early 1945.

He column, he was in, was ambushed. The Germans were using artillery and machine guns when the jeep he was driving took a hit. He died instantly. One of his comrades and an eyewitness to the tragic events of that fateful day, Sgt George Sauley, explained: '...from a safe distance we could see 4 German tanks shooting and spraying with machine guns. The US bazooka guns used against the German tanks were part of the infantry ahead of us and we had no defence against the tanks. We headed back to the nearest town to replace the 5 jeeps we lost and returned to the unit with replacement British jeeps. Joseph's death took place near the end of the war. In fact, we should meet the German soldiers surrendering on the road after Joseph's death'."

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Karlijn Jans, John T. Gerlosky, www.ancestry.com - 1930 Census / WWII Enlistment Records / 89th Infantry Division “Middle West Division” Unit History, http://www.89infdivww2.org/, "D-Day 70 years from now" - by Karlijn Jans, http://www.lonesentry.com/gi_stories_booklets/89thinfantry/index.html

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Karlijn Jans