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Michael Palaia enlisted on 14 October 1943.

Pfc Palaia was taken prisoner in the vicinity of Sankt Vith, Belgium on 21 December 1944.

He was held prisoner in Stalag IV-B. After an air raid, he was accused of plunder because he had picked up jars of food during a work detail. According to a statement of a fellow prisoner, he admitted this. He was executed by a German firing squad.

The following statement was made by Pfc Kingston and is enclosed in a report of 12 October 1945: "I was very acquainted with Joseph M. Palaia as we were very close buddies while prisoners of war in Germany.
The both of us were working in the streets of Dresden and with all the big bombings from our planes. We took advantage of this as the people had to move to the outskirts of the city. This is what kept us alive. The people had a lot af food stored in their cellars. This one day while working on the street, he got caught coming out of the cellar, with jars of fruit.
He was turned over to the street sergeant, and was taken back to the stalag. When I got back to the stalag that evening he left me a note which I will enclose in this letter.
A week later on a Sunday a guard came in and called me and two other fellows and gave us a shovel, and two picks. And took us to a place, that I could call a German training camp. While we were standing outside of the camp he came along with four guards around him. This is the last time I saw him until I picked him up after he was shot and put him in the grave."

The note in question stated the following: "Harry I don't know where I am going. They tell me I am going on a new commando. If you don't hear from me again see my mother don't forget 1825 S. 17th. Solong for now. See you later. Don't lose the address."

He was initially buried by fellow prisoners in the Police Parade grounds in Dresden.