Born: July 9, 1923
Campaigns Served: Namur, Saipan, Tinian (wounded)
Highest Rank Attained: Private First Class
Decorations: Purple Heart
Samuel Calano was born in Kittanning, Pennsylvania, in 1923. He enlisted in the Marines shortly after his nineteenth birthday. From the Pittsburgh recruiting station, he was sent to Parris Island; he underwent advanced training and machine gun school at Camps Lejeune and Pendleton with other men slated to become part of Dog Company, 24th Marines.
With Dog Company:
Calano served as an ammunition carrier with Dog Company's 3rd Platoon. He participated in the battle of Namur, and was transferred to Charlie Company in the spring of 1944.
With Charlie Company:
Following his transfer to Charlie, PFC Calano became a rifleman. He fought through the battles of Saipan - where he became separated from his company for two days - and Tinian, where he was wounded in August, 1944.
Calano was honorably discharged from the Marines at the Brooklyn Naval Shipyard on August 1, 1945. He eventually settled in North Babylon, New York, raised a family, and worked for the US Civil Service. After his retirement, he worked with the security department at Madison Square Garden.