Each year Italians (over 26 million Americans of Italian descent residing in the United States), around the country, take time to celebrate their heritage, history, and culture.
The Medal of Honor is the highest military award for bravery in the U.S. It is conferred for “individual gallantry at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.” The Army, Air Force, and Navy each have their own distinctive Medal of Honor. The act of bravery must be supported by the testimony of at least two eyewitnesses and recommendations must be made within defined time limits. The Medal of Honor is presented by the President of the United States “in the name of the Congress of the United States.” For this reason, it is sometimes called the U. S. Congressional Medal of Honor. In honor of Italian Heritage Month, Proud Americans Who Serve would like to honor the 26 Italian Americans who have earned the Medal of Honor, beginning with U.S. Army Corporal George Ferrari who fought in the Indian Wars in 1869.
ITALIAN AMERICAN MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS Lewis Albanese John Basilone Vito R. Bertoldo Willibald C. Bianchi Vincent R. Capodanno Anthony Casamento Jon R. Cavainani Ralph Cheli Joseph J. Cicchetti Michael Colalillo Peter J. Dalessondro Anthony Peter Damato Arthur F. DeFranzo Luigi Palma DiCesnola George Ferrari Frank R. Fratellenico Salvatore Giunta Gary W. Martini Gino J. Merli Jared Monti Frank J. Petrarca Louis R. Rocco Michael Valente Humbert (Rocky) Versace Robert M. Viale Joseph Vittori.
Italian American Heritage Month is celebrated every October to honor and recognize the centuries of achievements, successes, and valuable contributions of Italian immigrants and Italian Americans. Italian American Heritage month happens in October to coincide with Columbus Day. Columbus Day is the second Monday of each October
While there have been a few controversies and denials surrounding the discovery of American by Columbus. The truth is in every significant way, he did. Others did in fact visit this continent before he did, however, their voyages had no historical significance. Columbus’ voyages, marked the end of thousands of years of isolation between the Western Hemisphere and the rest of the world. The recorded history of the Americas and the Caribbean starts with Columbus.
Columbus Day also commemorates the arrival on these shores of more than 5 million Italians beginning in 1880. Today, the children and grandchildren of these early Italian Americans constitute the nation’s fifth-largest ethnic group, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The current fascination with multi-culturalism makes Columbus and this holiday more necessary than ever before in our history. Columbus matters because after he came millions of other Europeans who brought their art, music, science, medicine, philosophy, and religious principles to America. Columbus matters because Greek democracy, Roman law, Judeo-Christian ethics, and the tenet that all men are created equal are all European contributions that have made the United States what it is today. Columbus matters because his holiday recognizes not only the achievements of a great Renaissance explorer, but the success of the millions of immigrants from all over the world, including Europe, who followed him, seeking religious freedom, political stability, and the chance to give their children a better tomorrow.
Italian immigrants, like so many others, have contributed greatly to America. Attilio Piccirilli and his five brothers carved the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. They also carved the lions on the steps of the New York Public Library and the facade of the Brooklyn Museum among many other works. • In 1978, at age 38, A. Bartlett Giamatti (1940-1989) became the youngest president of Yale University in 200 years and the first president not of
Anglo-Saxon heritage. He served until 1986, leaving to become president of the National League and later commissioner of major league baseball. • Ed McBain (1926-2005), a master of the police novel, was born Salvatore Albert Lombino in New York’s East Harlem, he changed his name when a publisher said it was “too hard to pronounce.”
The only enlisted Marine in World War II who earned the nation’s two highest military honors, the Navy Cross and the Medal of Honor, was John Basilone, a U.S. Marine sergeant, who died at the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. He received the U.S. Medal of Honor in 1942 and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for heroism at Iwo Jima during February 1945. He was honored with a commemorative stamp in 2005. • Robert Gallo, M.D., a research scientist, and virologist, co-discovered the AIDS virus in 1984 and developed a blood test to screen for the disease. In 1978, he discovered and isolated the virus that is linked to leukemia. • Susan Sarandon, Bruce Springsteen, and Georgia O’Keeffe are all of the Italian descent.
Proud Americans Who Serve is honored to present our Italian-American Heritage Addition Polo Shirt and to honor the achievements of the Italian-Americans who have served our great nation.
Source:
The National Italian American Foundation
Order Sons of Italy in America
Italian American War Veterans of the USA
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