The current guardian of this Remembrance Page is Steve Booth (SBTS Writer)-Historian.
If you knew or served with this Airman and have additional information or photos to support this Page,
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This Remembrance Profile was originally created by CMSgt Don Skinner - Deceased
Casualty Info
Home Town Camden
Last Address Guinaun Air Strip, Samar Island, Philippines
Casualty Date Apr 30, 1945
Cause Non Hostile- Died while Missing
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Sea
Location Philippines
Conflict World War II
Location of Interment Manila American Cemetery - Taguig City, Philippines
Rocco Piligno was born in Camden, New Jersey in 1921, the youngest of 5 children born to John and Mary Piligno. He attended Hatcher Junior High School where he was an all-round athlete, playing soccer, football, baseball, basket ball, and running track. He was a member of the Science club and served as manager of the track team.
He then went to Woodrow Wilson High School where he graduated in February, 1940. He was drafted on July 30, 1943. After basic training, he received training and qualified as a crew member on a B-24 aircraft.
By 1944, he was with the 394th Bomb Squadron of the 5th Bomb Group. On April 30, 1945, the B-24 commanded by Lt. Benjamin Whiteker, with SSgt Rocco Piligno as a crew member, was alerted for a mission to bomb Japanese targets at Davao on Mindanao Island in the Philippines.
The mission was a success in that the target was bombed. On the return trip, the B-24 collided with another in the formation, and all crew men were killed as the aircraft crashed into the ocean.
SSgt Rocco Piligno is memorialized on The Tablets of the Missing at the American Cemetery in Manila. His name is also on the Camden, New Jersey World War II Memorial.
The incident of the crash, events leading to it, and a complete crew roster is listed in detail on the Remembrance profile of 1 Lt Benjamin R. Whiteker, and will not be repeated here.
SSgt. Rocco Piligno was awarded the following:
Air Medal
Purple Heart
World War II Victory Medal
American Campaign Medal
Army Presidential Unit Citation
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Standing Up For Truth Honors All Who Gave All
References:
Ancertry.com
National Archives
Newspapers.com
U.S. Censes records
https://wikipedia.org/
American Battle Monuments Commission
HonorStates.org
This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Together We Served. Related to this, there will be a smart phone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story. We welcome volunteers to help write these stories.
Stories Behind The Stars, Contributing Historian: Steve Booth,
If you have any details, photos or corrections for this story, please email me by clicking below.
Email: Daisensei@storiesbehindthestars.org
Steve Booth (SBTS Writer)-Historian.
