Peter L Belmonte

Calabrian-Americans in the US Military During World War I, Volume 5 Peter L Belmonte

Millions of Italians came to the US between 1880 and the eve of World War I. As many as 300,000 of them served in the United States military during the war. Tens of thousands of Calabrians--inhabitants of Calabria, the region that makes up the toe of the Italian boot--came to America in the this so-called Great Migration. Thousands of them served in the US military during that war, and until now no effort has been made to document their history. Historian Peter L Belmonte has written four volumes documenting the military history of over 800 men from the Cosenza area. In this fifth volume, he presents the total of his work on men from the Province of Cosenza, including those featured in previous volumes, in an abbreviated list format. The list contains the names of more than 2,300 men from the Province of Cosenza who served in the U. S. military during World War I. For each man, the list contains name, rank, serial number, unit or organization, home of record, and information as to whether a man was wounded, and other information. Readers will be able to use this list to further their own research. By examining the service of these men, this book lays the foundation for further studies of Italian immigrant soldiers in general, and Calabrians specifically. Their military history highlights the role of the US military; they served in every type of unit from stateside camps to the trenches of France and even to the Siberian wasteland. Many of the men suffered life-changing wounds; others were killed in action.