John J. Caccese

Name: John Joseph Caccese

Service number: 33476165

Born: 30 December 1921, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA

Hometown: Philadelphia County, PA

Family:

Anthony Caccese (father)

Helen Caccese (mother)

William Caccese (brother)

Anthony Caccese(brother)

Rita F. Caccese (sister)

Francis Caccese (brother)

Rank: Private

Division: 101st Airborne Division

Regiment: 506th Parachute fantry Regiment

Enlistment: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 21 December 1942.

Status: KIA

Date of death: 6 October 1944

Awards: Purple Heart

Grave Number: Plot G Row 2 Grave 1

Cemetery: American War Cemetery Margraten

Other information:

John was in C-company and was KIA near Opheusden, in the Netherlands. According to his medical files he died of wounds at his chest and face.

He was first buried at the temporary American War Cemetery of Molenhoek, the Netherlands in Block G, Row 9, Grave 171.

Extract from a letter I received (September 2016) from Frank Caccese, John's younger brother:

"I can tell you a little bit of information about John. He Joined the tank destroyers first, probably because our brother, Bill, was in the Tank destroyers.

Anthony then went into the parachute troops so I suppose that is why John went into the airborne. The only difference is that Anthony was over in the Pacific fighting the Japanese."

"Our family moved from Philadelphia to North Carolina for a while, then came back to Philly.

John stayed in North Carolina because he was raising tobacco and had to wait until it could be harvested and sold.

John came back to Philly and worked in the Navy ship yard before he joined the army. I was 8 years old when John went into service so there is not much I can tell you about him. John was mostly with my brother, Bill, all of the time, but Bill passed years ago."

Picture of John when he was in the Tank Destroyers Unit.

Picture of the temporary American War Cemetery of Molenhoek, the Netherlands. John was buried in Block G, Row 9, Grave 171.

C-Company Morning Report that

mentions John being KIA.

John's grave during one of my visits in 2015.

Sources: www.adoptiegraven-database.nl, Brian Siddall, www.ww2-airborne.us, the Caccese family