Felix Ferrante

ASN: 32978353

Felix George Ferrante registered for the draft on December 28, 1942, in Queens, New York. Born December 4, 1924, he was 5-7, 130 pounds with a light complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. At the time he was a student. He enlisted in the army on July 3, 1943, in New York City, New York.

Following basic training Private Ferrante was shipped out to the European Theatre of Operations arriving in England. He was assigned as a replacement soldier to A-Battery, 319th Field Artillery Group, 82nd Airborne Division. This was effective June 2, 1944, MOS 531, antitank gun crewman. The 319th was stationed at Papillon Hall, Market Harborough, England.

Private Ferrante fought in the following battles and campaigns: Holland, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe.

World War II Draft Card (front)

World War II Draft Card (reverse)

Company Morning Reports were produced every morning by the individual Army units to record personnel matters. The following events (see below) were reported for Felix Ferrante:

On July 19, 1944, he went on furlough for five days at 0600 hours to Birmingham, England, returning to duty on July 24, 1944, at 2000 hours.
November 26, 1944, he was reported as going from duty to sick quarters.
On March 30, 1945, he was transferred to the anti-tank company of the 325th Glider Infantry Battalion. Felix Ferrante was later transferred from duty to D-Company, 325th Glider Infantry effective June 27, 1945 and later promoted to Private First Class.

Company Morning Reports

May, 1945 the war was over. The US Army used the Adjusted Service Rating Score (ASR) at the end of the war to determine when soldiers were eligible for discharge. PFC Ferrante had an ASR score of 54.

By August 1945, he was now stationed in Berlin, Germany for occupational duty with other 325th soldiers having an ASR score of less than 85.

Upon completion of his occupational duties in Berlin PFC Ferrante sailed to the USA in December 1945 and was honorably discharged on January 6, 1945. He returned to his hometown of New York City, New York, then eventually relocated to Texas.

PVT Ferrante - France 1945

PVT Ferrante on furlough July 1944

PVT Ferrante (R) clowning around with Harry Kerr

A-Battery men enroute from Aachen, Germany to Camp Suippes, February 1945. (L-R) J. Thousand, F. Gyuresko, M. Sebring, T. Covais, Steve Palmisano - Seated (L-R) Felix Ferrante and Harold Ewing

Hurtgen, Germany, February 16, 1945 - (R-L) Felix Ferrante, Mahlon Sebring, Ted Covais and Frank Gyuresko

PFC Ferrante - occupational duty in Berlin, late 1945

Photos courtesy of Charlotte Sartain Provenza, Mahlon Sebring and Joseph Covais

PFC Ferrante was awarded 4 Bronze Battle Stars, Bronze Arrowhead, Good Conduct Medal, Belgian Fourragere, Presidential Unit Citation Badge with Oak Leaf Cluster, Glider Badge, World War II Victory Medal, Netherlands Orange Lanyard and the European-African-Middle Eastern Theatre Ribbon.

Felix George Ferrante, 91, died May 29, 2016. God Bless this hero.

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