Remember...
John Manfredi
1918-1944
"I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory!"
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower
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Remember...John Manfredi
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Shortly after midnight, on July 12, 1973, a fire was reported at the NPRC's military personnel records building at 9700 Page Boulevard in St. Louis, Missouri. Firefighters arrived on the scene only 4 minutes and 20 seconds after the first alarm sounded and entered the building. While they were able to reach the burning sixth floor, the heat and the smoke forced the firefighters to withdraw at 3:15am. In order to combat and contain the flames, firefighters were forced to pour great quantities of water onto the exterior of the building and inside through broken windows. The fire burned out of control for 22 hours; it took two days before firefighters were able to re-enter the building. The blaze was so intense that local Overland residents had to remain indoors, due to the heavy acrid smoke. It was not until July 16, nearly four and a half days after the first reports, that the local fire department called the fire officially out. . . .
Due to the extensive damages, investigators were never able to determine the source of the fire. ("The 1973 Fire, National Personnel Records Center," National Archives website, last reviewed 15 March 2023, accessed 5 September 2023, https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/fire-1973.)
A page from Pfc. John Manfredi's service record shows the extent to which the fire damaged his documents. National Archives
The fire at the National Personnel Records Center [NPRC] destroyed approximately 16 through 18 million Official Military Personnel Files. These included 80 percent of Army personnel files of those discharged between November 1, 1912, to January 1, 1960, and 75 percent of Air Force personnel files of those discharged between September 25, 1947, to January 1, 1964 (with names alphabetically after Hubbard, James E.)
Neither duplicate copies nor microfilm copies existed of these files. Likewise, no indices had been created. Additionally, millions of documents had been lent to the Department of Veterans Affairs before the fire occurred. Thus, a complete listing of lost records does not exist.
The National Archives responded quickly to salvage as much as possible and resume operations at the facility. Beyond the salvage attempt, the NPRC began a reconstruction effort that included a "B" registry ["Burned File"] to index the 6.5 million recovered records. An "R" registry ["Reconstructed File"] was established to assist with reconstruction efforts. Sources consulted in the reconstruction effort included VA files, state records, pay vouchers from the Adjutant General's Office, Selective Service System registration records, documents from the Government Accounting Office, as well as medical records. The National Archives and Records Administration concludes: "In terms of loss to the cultural heritage of our nation, the 1973 NPRC Fire was an unparalleled disaster. In the aftermath of the blaze, recovery and reconstruction effort took place at an unprecedented level." (National Archives) A more detailed narrative of the event (with photos), written just over a year later, can be found in Walter W. Stender and Evan Walker's article "The National Personnel Records Center Fire: A Study in Disaster" in The American Archivist (37:4, 521-49).
Why such a long introduction to the story of John Manfredi? While the records of many of his comrades in arms were lost, John's service record is nearly intact. The edges of some of the documents are charred, and there is considerable bleed-through on many pages, but, for the most part, it is readable. As a result, it's possible to reconstruct the service history of this West Virginia son who died on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944, in the first wave of the D-Day invasion.
John Manfredi (middle name, if any, unknown) was born on December 28, 1918, in Galloway, Barbour County. His parents were Louie [Louis] Guiseppe and Mary Ferrarelli Manfredi (the surname is spelled "Manfreda" in some documents, especially those that reference the parents). Louie and Mary were natives of Italy, but once in the United States, they anglicized their given names of "Luigi" and "Maria." Mary's surname also appears as "Ferrelli" in some documents. Louie and Mary's large family included Elizabeth (married name: Adams), Dominic ("Mickey"), Theresa (married name: Arlo), Rose (married name: Aikman), Stella (married name Byrnes), Germaine (married name: Walsh), Joseph, and James. Census records and family trees posted on Ancestry.com indicate that, around 1939-1940, Mary and Louie were no longer together. Mary was living with Pete Fabbro, and they had a daughter named Mary. Interestingly, though, Mary Ferrarelli Manfreda's 1989 obituary lists Louis as her husband, and she is using his surname, although she is not buried with him in West Virginia. Meanwhile, Louie and Mary Marguerite Bolyard had a daughter, Glenna Sue Bolyard.
Many details of John's early life in Galloway are unclear. Strangely, his draft card indicates that he did not register for the draft until July of 1943, although some records show he was inducted into the Army in 1942 at Clarksburg. By that time, he had served in the U.S. Navy from 1937 to 1941, having enlisted when he was just 18 years old. By 1944, Private First Class Manfredi was a member of B Company, 121st Engineer Battalion in the U.S. Army. Two platoons of his battalion were the first to hit Omaha Beach. The time of the landing was 7:10, June 6, 1944.
The 121st Battalion clearly knew what their charge would be; they had been trained for more than two years for the inevitable combat role. They participated in basic training at Camp Sutton, North Carolina, in mid-1942. In August 1942 they continued training in Camp Blanding, Florida, then continued on as part of the 29th Infantry Division at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. (There is mention of time spent at Camp Blanding in John's service record.) The next month found them headed for Scotland via the Queen Elizabeth and then ultimately Southern England. From January 1, 1943, to June 6, 1944, headquartered at various stations in England, they participated in "diversified engineer training and physical conditioning" to prepare them for the invasion. According to the 29th Division Association website,
The 121st Engineer Combat Battalion, less Company A, with the 112th Engineer Combat Battalion attached, landed on Omaha Beach with the 116th Infantry Combat Team. The 116th Infantry Combat Team was a part of the 1st Infantry Division Landing Team. Two platoons of Company B, 121st Engineer Battalion, accompanied by the battalion commander, were the first elements to hit the beach. Time of the landing was 0710, 6 June 1944. The remainder of the battalion, less Company A landed 10 to 40 minutes later. The landing was made under heavy mortar, artillery, and machine gun fire as no infantry units preceded the engineer landing on Dog Green and part of Dog White Beaches. Approximately 50% of the initial landing forces were casualties and 75% of the accompanying equipment was lost. The battalion regrouped as quickly as possible and proceeded inland to accomplish its mission of clearing routes of communications of obstacles. ("121st Engineer Battalion," accessed 12 September 2023, https://29thdivisionassociation.com/29th-division-121st-engineer-battalion/.)
Pfc. John Manfredi is listed among those who gave their lives that fateful day. His unit would go on to attack and capture St. Lo, attack the Siegfried Line, participate in the Battle of the Bulge, cross the Roer River, and defend the Elbe. On July 14, 1944, the 121st Engineer Combat Battalion was cited for "gallantry and outstanding performance of duty in action against the enemy on 6 June 1944."
A great deal of information about John's life in the early 1940s can be gleaned from his service record. He was inducted into the Army on June 11, 1942. The paperwork acknowledges his honorable discharge from the Navy, having served from August 1, 1937, through August 1, 1941. Reflecting the abysmal pay of enlisted men at the time, his brother Mickey [Dominic] (who at various times was John's beneficiary) received a Class E allotment of $30.00 per month "for support" from January 1, 1943, through May 31, 1943. Mickey was the person who received John's Purple Heart. Also in the paperwork, John's character is rated as "excellent," as is his efficiency rating as a soldier. Among John's Army specialties was radio operator, making him a valuable member of his battalion.
His induction physical shows him to be a very healthy individual, but in March of 1943 he suffered a fall resulting in an injury to his nose; it was stitched and taped. The nose was not fractured, but when checked five months later, a keloid scar had formed, and he wished to have it corrected. The attending physician wrote: "Do not see any indication for any surgery."
At times, John was listed as a corporal, but the correspondence with his family at his death indicates he was, at the time of the invasion, a private first class. While much of the correspondence is with Mickey, his mother, identified as Mary Fabbro at the time, received the Casualty Message Telegram on July 16, 1944.
Louie (Luigi) Manfreda, John's father, died in 1951 and was buried in the Union Baptist Church Cemetery in Simpson, Taylor County. The space for a spouse's burial information on Louis's headstone is blank. But it's important to note that he was buried in Taylor County, West Virginia. Mary, who was using the name Manfreda at the time of her death in 1989, had apparently moved east to be near her daughters, and she was interred in Franklin Memorial Park in North Brunswick, New Jersey.
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John's remains were returned to the States, and he was interred in the Grafton National Cemetery, Section A, Plot 96, on December 16, 1947. John served his country well, in both the Navy and then the Army, paying the ultimate sacrifice on June 6, 1944. His siblings scattered throughout the United States, mostly in East Coast states. No doubt there are many nieces and nephews who continue to honor the memory of their heroic uncle. |
Article prepared by Patricia Richards McClure
September 2023
West Virginia Archives and History welcomes any additional information that can be provided about these veterans, including photographs, family names, letters and other relevant personal history.
