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 DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS
Acknowledgement: Information
from the book, "Bombardiers of WWII", published by
Turner Publishing
and M. T. Publishing Company.
S/SGT ALBERT L. CATALLO
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Albert L. Catallo, (
then Staff Sergeant), 19th BS/22nd BG, received the DSC for extraordinary
heroism in action near Fort Moresby, New Guinea, on August 17, 1942. When an
air-raid warning was sounded as he was assisting in preparing the airplane, of
which he was the bombardier and co-pilot, for a bombing mission, Staff Sergeant
Catallo, with the rest of the crew, attempted an immediate take-off, remaining
with the plane when bombs started falling while the plane was being taxied into
position. One stick of four bombs fell within thirty yards, filling the plane
with shrapnel, damaging it so severely as to render it unserviceable and
wounding all but one of the crew. The pilot was seriously wounded in the left
elbow and was bleeding profusely. S/SGT Catallo. although painfully wounded
in the right thigh improvised a tourniquet for the pilot's arm, assisted him out
of the plane and in the midst of a continuing bombing attack carried him the
entire length of the runway to relative safety. When transportation was
procured, S/SGT Catallo used his own body as a cushion for the wounded pilot
over a twelve-mile stretch of exceedingly rough road. his courageous and
self-sacrificing actions undoubtedly saved the life of the pilot.
In 1993, Catallo resided in
Greesboro, NC after retiring from the Air Force as a colonel.
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