Vito BERTOLDO the Hatten hero

Vito BERTOLDO The hero of Hatten

He decided to enlist to defend his country, but his medical check-up on enlisting in the US Army, was not good, so he would be assigned as a cook in the Company A, 1st Battalion, 242nd Infantry Regiment, 42nd Infantry Division.

He would later be assigned to the CP Battalion which was, that January 9, 1945 at Hatten in France. Vito volunteered to stay in the town to hold off German offensives while Allied troops reorganized. Vito BERTOLDO found himself outnumbered, in the town of Hatten having to deal with German offensives, facing tanks, various heavy weapons and soldiers.

12 hours already that he's been holding his position facing the Germans, in a place entirely exposed to 88mm guns. He decides to leave his fortified position and take refuge in a building to continue opening fire on the advancing enemy. A shell lands in the building and blows him across the room. Despite this, he picks up his gun again, a tank is heading towards him with a group of men, he takes it in his stride, leans over the window and opens fire and knocks down around twenty German soldiers.

The next day he changes position with his weapons to defend his life again, alone. He faces numerous raids, including from armored vehicles equipped with 88mm cannons. As the hours tick by, he takes advantage of the darkness to relocate to another building. His defense is flawless, despite the passing hours. The enemy troops were unable to advance, and he defended his comrades' retreat, causing havoc for the Germans inside Hatten.

After 48 hours without rest, having to change position to escape death the fighting ended for Vito BERTOLDO, he will have killed 40 German soldiers and wounded many more. This soldier, who had been rejected at his first medical check-up to go to the front, will ultimately have saved many Allied lives by giving his comrades time to reorganize. He will be awarded the Medal of Honor, America's highest military honor.

Photo credit: The Decatur Review

Vito BERTOLDO The hero of HattenHe decided to enlist to defend his country, but his medical check-up on enlisting in the US Army, was not good, so he would be assigned as a cook in the Company A, 1st Battalion, 242nd Infantry Regiment, 42nd Infantry Division.He would later be assigned to the CP Battalion which was, that January 9, 1945 at Hatten in France. Vito volunteered to stay in the town to hold off German offensives while Allied troops reorganized. Vito BERTOLDO found himself outnumbered, in the town of Hatten having to deal with German offensives, facing tanks, various heavy weapons and soldiers.12 hours already that he's been holding his position facing the Germans, in a place entirely exposed to 88mm guns. He decides to leave his fortified position and take refuge in a building to continue opening fire on the advancing enemy. A shell lands in the building and blows him across the room. Despite this, he picks up his gun again, a tank is heading towards him with a group of men, he takes it in his stride, leans over the window and opens fire and knocks down around twenty German soldiers. The next day he changes position with his weapons to defend his life again, alone. He faces numerous raids, including from armored vehicles equipped with 88mm cannons. As the hours tick by, he takes advantage of the darkness to relocate to another building. His defense is flawless, despite the passing hours. The enemy troops were unable to advance, and he defended his comrades' retreat, causing havoc for the Germans inside Hatten.After 48 hours without rest, having to change position to escape death the fighting ended for Vito BERTOLDO, he will have killed 40 German soldiers and wounded many more. This soldier, who had been rejected at his first medical check-up to go to the front, will ultimately have saved many Allied lives by giving his comrades time to reorganize. He will be awarded the Medal of Honor, America's highest military honor.Photo credit: The Decatur Review