P38 Brought back by 17th Airborne 194th GIR Purple Heart Recipient: Please help finding rest of group!

[ugafx4]

Hello everyone. I just bought this at auction and could really use your help to locate Mr. Antelitano's other items. I have heard that they were auctioned off. I was hoping to reunite as much as I possibly could! Any information is helpful! The groupings can be seen at the links below. I got very lucky before the auction and located the first link below. I have been talking with the gentleman in the original posts below.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/124163-17th-82nd-airborne-glider-grouping/

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/157647-reunited-17th-ab-grouping-194th-gir-325th-gir/

 

In the mean time, here is the information about the pistol. The auction house tried everything in their power to keep me from buying this one. The person that approved online bidding was out of the office for a week and never approved me. I would be upset if I were a seller in this auction, but with the crazy premiums the auction house gets their money and moves on.

This was brought back by Paul L. Antelitano of the 17th Airborne 194th Glider Infantry Regiment Company D. I got very lucky and stumbled across a post with some of his items on the US Militaria Forum and knew that I had to buy this piece. A gentleman on the USMF had aquired Mr. Antelitano's grouping from his widow and posted it. The grouping is massive and included some interesting pieces and documents. He was able to talk to her and get some of the information regarding his service. The following is a combination of research, after action reports and information from his widow.

The 17th Airborne was sent to relieve the 28th Infantry Division in Morhet Belgium on January 3rd 1945. They were ordered to attack the general area of Flamierge. According to the 194th GIR After Action Reports, they located the 12th SS and 19th SS in the area with 90 tanks sitting in the town. The attack began in the morning and the 2nd Batallion of the 194th was supposed to flank the town. After intense fighting, Antelitano was wounded at approximately 1355 on Jan 4th according to a combination of the AARs and his purple heart General Order. His wife said it was an 88 shell burst in some trees, reading the AARs, apparently there was a ton of Mortar fire. Whatever it was, it exploded in a tree and wounded him. He spent approximately a month in the hospital and rehab and rejoined his unit in February to prepare for operation Varsity.

On the back of his Purple Heart paper, the serial number of the P38 he captured is written. He was very proud of this pistol. You can see that he wrote to the ATF when he got back making sure he could have it. Interesting little tid bit.

I need to do more research on his specific experience in Varsity, I am sure that I can find out what glider he was on and find out more about his personal experience. If anyone can help with varsity glider rosters or learning more about his Varsity experience, please contact me.

 

[tarheeltim]

Love it! Hope you're able to find more!

[Brian Keith]

Excellent! Great to find with the "Certificate". Holster, two mags, paperwork to Glider-rider. Very nice! Thanks for posting it.

BKW

[shellman825]

Nice!

[katieony]

A really nice, documented "bring back". Thanks for posting!

[TFH]

As I still said you,

I love it !

 

TFH

[doyler]

Great bring back.

 

May be impossible to find the missing items.I think the group was pieced out on ebay.

[ugafx4]

Thanks everyone. I heard that it was split, I would at least like to locate the dog tags. Maybe a patch.

 

I located the location of his photo album, a gentleman that runs a 17th airborne blog now owns it.

 

That being said, I'm extremely lucky to own this and very proud of it. I always tried to locate photos of the soliders that brought my other papered items back, its impossible though. It's really interesting to have a lot of his story pieced together. It's quite cathartic researching in my spare time. I enjoy learning about the different battles and operations.