Peter Joseph Dalessandro (May 18, 1918 – October 15, 1997) was a United States Army soldier who earned the United States' highest military honor – the Medal of Honor – on December 22, 1944, for action occurring in the European Theatre of Operations during World War II.
Peter J. Dalessandro | |
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Born | Watervliet, New York | May 18, 1918
Died | October 15, 1997 | (aged 79)
Place of burial | Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, Schuylerville, Saratoga County, New York |
Allegiance | United States of America |
Service/ | United States Army |
Rank | Technical Sergeant |
Unit | 1st Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Medal of Honor Silver Star Purple Heart |
Other work | Prisoner of war New York State Senator |
Citation:
He was captured during the battle and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of war.
After returning home a war hero, Dalessandro was elected as a Democrat to the New York State Senate in 1947, representing the 35th district from 1947 to 1954 and the 36th from 1955 until his resignation in 1957. He was a member of the American Legion, Catholic War Veterans,[citation needed] Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Elks.
He died in 1997 and was buried in the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, Schuylerville, Saratoga County, New York.
A portion of County Route 151 alongside Albany International Airport has been named in his honor in Colonie, New York.[1]