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WWII 10th Mountain Division KIA Purple Heart


Will
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Private First Class Richard C. Dierolf of Pennsylvania, who gave his life for his country on April 14, 1945, in Italy. He was an infantryman with the 85th Mountain Infantry Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division.

I have rarely encountered a Purple Heart grouping as complete as this.

Private Dierolf's posthumously awarded Purple Heart, officially hand engraved by the Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot, within its presentation case. Included is the ribbon bar, lapel device, extra lengths of ribbon, and the tissue paper that encased the decoration.

The cased decoration is within the cream colored protective cardboard box, within the Registered Mail carton in which it was sent to Private Dierolf's widow.

 

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Private Dierolf's insignia, as well as his wife's sterling silver sweetheart pin, were also kept in the decoration case.

 

A privately purchase service accolade with his photograph was present as well.

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The 48 star flag from Private Dierolf's coffin after he was returned to Pennsylvania from Italy for burial, and something that I have never seen before:

Attached to the coffin flag is a wire with a metal soldered "US" seal. On that wire is Private Dierolf's dog tag and a large identification plate, which I presume was on the military coffin in which he was sent back to the United States from Italy.

 

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Excellent group of material and so happy it has been kept together. I have always had a soft spot for the 10th. My Dad was an MP at Camp Hale from its inception through 1944. He shared lots of stories about his time policing the Mountain troops!

 

John

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The photo is definitely not of your guy. Perhaps a relative? Dieroff was 25 when he was KIA.

 

-Ski

 

On that I disagree.

The photograph may look to you to be a man older than 25, but he is not.

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I should add that, regarding the photograph of the soldier, I should have taken a close up of it out from underneath the glass. On close viewing of the actual photo you can see that the solider is young. My photo of a photo does make him appear older.

 

As to his specific company, the "Honor Roll" of the 10th mountain Division in World War II puts him in L Company. I suppose that ordering the IDPF would provide further information regarding the circumstances of his death.

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That is a very nice complete group, and I will second what Scott said about the Denver Public Library. Excellent resource for 10th Mountain guys. Thank you for posting.

 

bill

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  • 2 years later...

Oh my god...on thread I missed. Very close family connection. Never thought I would personally have something like that on the forums.

 

PM sent Will.

 

 

Mike

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  • 1 year later...

Will - are you still in possession of this grouping? I have some relevant information. Thanks

 

Steve Coffey

President

10th Mountain Division Descendants

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Will - are you still in possession of this grouping? I have some relevant information. Thanks

 

Steve Coffey

President

10th Mountain Division Descendants

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  • 3 months later...

Interesting - the Army paperwork says he was with D Company, but the veteran database says it was L Company, as does the 85th Combat record. Unusual... 1st Bn was in reserve for this action on the day he was killed.

 

I show he was a late arrival to the Division (Camp Swift TX just before deployment) and he was killed on hill 913 Castel D'Aiano, same place and day that Senator, 1Lt (now COL) Robert Dole was wounded. Co L was hit with heavy artillery - this may be where he was killed

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  • 4 months later...

I am resurrecting this old thread and putting out an APB. I really need to find this group. He was my late grandmother's (on my mother's side) first husband and these were probably sold during an estate sale when she went into assisted care in PA.

 

I have a number of documents relating to his death but need help finding where it all went.

 

Thanks so much!

 

Mike

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BigJohn#3RD

Yes, this is one of the most complete groupings that I have seen and is dedicated to a WWII hero who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Rest In Peace soldier your death helped free the world from those who sought to oppress and enslave the world.

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