RIP Mike Colalillo, MOH
Mike Colalillo, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for an extraordinary machine gun assault on German soldiers toward the end of World War II that inflicted 25 enemy casualties, died Dec. 30 at a nursing facility in Duluth, Minn. He was 86.
He had congestive heart failure, said his son, Al Colalillo.
Just how badass was this guy? Um, pretty fahkin badass:
He was pinned down with other members of his company during an attack against strong enemy positions in the vicinity of Untergriesheim, Germany. Heavy artillery, mortar, and machinegun fire made any move hazardous when he stood up, shouted to the company to follow, and ran forward in the wake of a supporting tank, firing his machine pistol. Inspired by his example, his comrades advanced in the face of savage enemy fire. When his weapon was struck by shrapnel and rendered useless, he climbed to the deck of a friendly tank, manned an exposed machinegun on the turret of the vehicle, and, while bullets rattled about him, fired at an enemy emplacement with such devastating accuracy that he killed or wounded at least 10 hostile soldiers and destroyed their machinegun. Maintaining his extremely dangerous post as the tank forged ahead, he blasted 3 more positions, destroyed another machinegun emplacement and silenced all resistance in his area, killing at least 3 and wounding an undetermined number of riflemen as they fled. His machinegun eventually jammed; so he secured a submachinegun from the tank crew to continue his attack on foot. When our armored forces exhausted their ammunition and the order to withdraw was given, he remained behind to help a seriously wounded comrade over several hundred yards of open terrain rocked by an intense enemy artillery and mortar barrage. By his intrepidity and inspiring courage Pfc. Colalillo gave tremendous impetus to his company’s attack, killed or wounded 25 of the enemy in bitter fighting, and assisted a wounded soldier in reaching the American lines at great risk of his own life.
Category: Politics
I always get chills when I read MOH citations. Regardless of the verbiage found in them, the words can only provide a hint at what went on.
I especially enjoyed a couple of lines from the salute link to the article. “A few weeks later, he was approached by two military police officers who escorted him to a nearby headquarters. He recalled later that he thought he was under arrest. He was informed that the tank’s commander had nominated him for the Medal of Honor, which he received in December 1945 at a White House ceremony.”
All of 19 when he did what he did. Amazing. God rest his soul.
DAYUM!!! Badass indeed!!
I notice they didn’t mention the guy following him carrying his nutsack in a wheelbarrow.
Issued: 2 ea. balls, XL, stainless, hairy.
He came from an Italian family of nine kids. He learned to fight effectively at an early age!
RIP, Mike Colalillo! Hooah!
God Speed Mike and THANK YOU!
Rest easy, sir. Peace to your family.
Is he the one that I saw on an MOH documentary that said in today’s world you would call what he did road rage. He said he wasn’t being brave, he was just pissed off?
Big ones, indeed. RIP, sir.
I’m seeing him at the Pearly Gates, yelling “Password!”
OT, I can see the Germans in their foxholes going “Vas ist das klanking?”
RIP sir.
#2 Badass is exactly what I was thinking. TSO how many are left now? I know it’s less then a 100, 95 or so?