Stephen Palmisano

ASN:42042266

Stephen Palmisano registered for the draft on June 30, 1944, and was employed at Brewster Aeronautic in Long Island City at the time of his registration.

Born July 4, 1922, he was from the Bronx of New York City, New York. This nineteen-year-old was 5-9, 160 pounds with a light complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. No identifying marks were listed on his registration card. 

Enlisted in the Army October 15, 1943, Private Palmisano received his training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Completing basic training, he was shipped out to the European Theatre of Operations arriving in England on May 11, 1944.

As a replacement soldier, Palmisano was assigned as a Field Lineman with A-Battery, 319th Field Artillery Group, 82nd Airborne Division in Market Harborough, England, arriving May 21, 1944.

Market Harborough was a British Royal Air Force station, a place for allied military training, and where the glidermen went for training and replacement soldiers. As part of an airborne artillery crew, he was trained in all aspects of a Howitzer gun section. Each man on a gun crew could do the other man’s job.

The 319th was bivouacked at Papillon Hall, a large structure, first built in 1903 that was requisitioned by the army during World War II. It was used as a billet for the Glider Field Artillery and other units of the 82nd Airborne. The building was set out in a butterfly pattern with four distinct wings. The soldiers lived in the main building and a cluster of Quonset huts. No space was wasted with eight men to a room. Some men even bunked in horse stables and barns.

Company Morning Reports

Company Morning Reports were produced every morning by the individual Army units to record personnel matters. The following events were reported for Stephen Palmisano:

• June 2, 1944, reported for duty 319th Glider Field Artillery Battalion. MOS 014 - Mechanic. Station:  Papillon Hall 4 miles west of Mkt Harborough Leicestershire, England. 

• April 13, 1945, appointed Private First Class. Station: Camp Suippes France, VT 6863, Nor D’Guerre.

• September 10, 1945, appointed to Tec 5 effective September 6, 1945. Station: Berlin, Germany.

• September 20, 1945, reported ASR score of 59. Station: Berlin, Germany.

• November 29, 1945, transferred in grade to 536 Eng Lt. Pontoon Company, Camp Washington. Station: Sissone, France.

Tech 5 Stephen Palmisano fought in the major campaigns of the Ardennes, Central Europe, Normandy and Rhineland. See a map of the 82nd Airborne Mediterranean-European Theater of Operations.

His awards were many including, the European-African-Middle Eastern Service Medal, 4 Bronze Battle Stars, Bronze Arrowhead, Good Conduct Medal, Distinguished Unit Badge and World War II Victory Medal.

On September 18, 1944, with their combat mission already cancelled twice, Stephen Palmisano and A-Battery soldiers pose (see below) with their glider at the Barkston Heath Airdome in northern England. This photo was taken minutes before their glide into Holland.

Following the Holland campaign, the 319th’s base camp was now stationed in Suippes, France. During the early morning hours of December 18, 1944, the 82nd Airborne was alerted for a combat mission. There had been a serious German penetration in the VIII Corps sector.

Traveling by motor convoy, the 319th immediately departed Camp Suippes, France, for an assembly area near Werbomont, Belgium. Then moved into position 2 miles north of Werbomont to hold the north flank of the 101st Airborne Division.

By 1215 hours on December 19, 1944, the battery was ready to fire in what came to be known as the “Battle of the Bulge.”

At 1700 hours the following day the battery received orders to move to a new position one mile west of Goronne, Belgium. With a pause in the fighting this A-Battery gun section posed for a photograph in the bitter cold and snow. (see below)

The 319th’s final gun position was located one mile east of Hurtgen, Germany. For 12 days these brave men fired continuous battery concentrations at enemy positions.

Traveling in a “forty and eight” rail car, (see below) portions of the 319th returned to Camp Suippes, near Reims, France, on February 21, 1945. These cold and tired A-Battery gunners posed for a photo opportunity near their base camp.

The 82nd Airborne returned to Camp Suippes following “The Bulge” for reorganization and training. The men spent most of their time taking care of material and personal equipment.

The 319th then moved to a tent camp that required improvement. New flooring was needed and installed in the tent quarters. Scheduled activities were planned with one day being used for practicing the trigger squeeze on .30 caliber carbines. Half of the Battery made glider practice flights for pay, and the other half the next day. Sundays were typically a day off.

On March 21, 1945, the entire division was reviewed and presented with battle participation streamers. Then a week of infantry tactics training with the 505th Parachute Infantry.

Usual camp duties were interrupted with orders to prepare for a new combat mission. It was March 31, 1945, morale was good and the weather fair but warm.

The 319th’s combat echelon departed Camp Suippes for a combat mission on April 2, 1945. The following day A-Battery arrived at a new position near Cologne, Germany. Finally in place, they registered their howitzers at 1830 hours and commenced firing battalion concentrations. (see photo inset)

Fighting continued through April 13, 1945. The 319th then relocated to Hurth, Germany. Here, combat duties also included the policing of the Goldenberg Power Station. Search parties were formed to screen for enemy weapons and other equipment. Civilian homes were also searched for small arms and ammunition.

During the next few weeks the 319th moved to new combat positions but found no enemy action. By May 2, 1945, the 319th was now bivouacked near Karenz, Germany. Gun positions were organized and outposts were set up. There was no firing during the daytime and many enemy soldiers were surrendering. In fact, the entire German 21st Army surrendered to the 319th.

The war was over! The men were busy with prisoners and searching for abandoned enemy material which could be used against Allied troops.

Stephen Palmisano’s camp life was quickly changing. Some “High Point” soldiers went on furlough to the US Riviera Recreational Area. The battery took its first shower in a long time and a swim, beer was served to the enlisted men. A-Battery played softball with B-Battery who won 7 to 6. The men were served a banquet style meal and entertained with a USO show.

By June 1945, the battalion had relocated to a “tent city” RAMP (Recovered American Military Personnel) camp in Epinal, France. While here they continued occupational duties. Their time was spent on physical training, sports activities, furlough, practice glider rides and taking photos. (see below)

Soon the “High Point” soldiers, those with 85 points or more, would be transferring to the 17th Airborne Division as the first of the 319th soldiers to return home. The US Army used the Adjusted Service Rating Score (ASR) point system at the end of the war to determine when soldiers were eligible for discharge.

By August 1945, PFC Stephen Palmisano was now stationed in Berlin, Germany, for occupational duty with other 319th soldiers having an ASR score of less than 85. They were housed in what had formerly been a Nazi SS barracks.

On September 10, 1945, PFC Palmisano was promoted Tec 5 and transferred from Berlin to Camp Washington, Sissone, France. Then, attached to an Engineer Pontoon Company solely for the purpose of boarding a liberty ship Palmisano began his journey back to the USA.

Tec 5 Stephen Palmisano departed the European Theater of Operations from Antwerp, Belgium, aboard the liberty ship Pittston Victory on December 14, 1945. The total time for the trip from Antwerp to New York City was 17 days. Pittston Victory was detoured via the Azores and encountered heavy seas and hurricane velocity winds.

While on board the Pittston A-Battery soldiers happily posed for photos. Below, (L-R) Billy Cadle, Stephen Palmisano, Mahlon Sebring, Harry Kerr.

Published for and by the enlisted men, the voyage of the Pittston Victory was described in great detail in their onboard souvenir newspaper.

Dated December 29, 1945, the “Final Edition” was complete with a map, highlights of the trip, college football scores and a “Male Call” cartoon. Posted below it is presented in a slideshow fashion, and side controls to the next or previous image.

The above photo and images below Courtesy of the Mahlon Sebring family

(slideshow, side controls to next image)

Tec 5 Stephen Palmisano arrived in New York City on December 30, 1945.

He separated from his service with the US Army on January 4, 1946, at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and returned to civilian life.

Stephen Palmisano, 85, died May 15, 2008.

God Bless this hero.