Alfred F. Curotola
Biography: Alfred F. Curotola (or Curatola) was born on February 18, 1924, in Pennsylvania. He graduated high school and worked as a driver of a taxi, truck or tractor.
Service Time: Alfred entered the service at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on February 8, 1943. He was trained as a replacement and assigned to A Company of the 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion, probably while they were still in North Africa. The unit had been there since November of 1942. They converted from the M3 and M6 tank destroyers to the M10 at the end of the North Africa campaign.
The 601st then participated in invasion landings at Salerno, Italy, on September 9, and made an assault landing at Anzio, on January 22, 1944. They entered Rome five months later in June and conducted another assault landing in Southern France on August 15th. They advanced to the German border, in the Vosges region, and participated in the reduction of the Colmar Pocket in February, 1945.
The unit pulled back for rest and began conversion to the M36, at Pont-A-Mousson, France. The unit moved out on March 13th, continuing all night to Etting. They were preparing to support the 3rd Armored Division in their assault on the Siegfried Line. A Company moved out in support of the 7th Infantry Regiment. Three destroyers were disabled during this movement when they hit non-metallic mines. The roads had been identified as having been cleared already but they ended up being delayed until the 16th when they could safely move through the area and began their attack.
Pfc. Alfred F. Curotola was killed during these actions on March 15th, 1945, although we have no details of the circumstances of his death. He was brought back to the U.S. and buried in the Calvary Cemetery, Pittsburgh, PA.