Page 18 - Valley Life & Health

18 SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2019 THE MORNING CALL

honoringourheroes

Angelo Basso, Jr.
Corporal in the U.S. Army, World War II
Easton, PA

Angelo Basso, Jr. from Easton, PA is the best hero one can have.
We honor him this Memorial Day for the first time with all of the fallen soldiers
who have gone before him.
Angelo served in WWII as a Corporal in the U.S. Army. Angelo has spent his life
taking care of others as a loving family member, and for years he was a successful
union representative fighting for others’ rights.
His favorite time of year was Memorial Day, always saying “the real heroes never came
home”. He would never talk about his time in the war but was quick to honor the fallen.
For as long as I can remember, Angelo has been involved in the Easton Memorial Day
Parade. He started out by driving the mothers of the soldiers serving; he then began
driving for the Disabled Veterans chapter #7.
Before his passing on April 13, 2019, at the young age of 95, he knew his time was
coming to an end. All he said was he wanted to make it to Memorial Day. Although
he didn’t make this goal, I know that he is with us in spirit.
Greatly missed and forever looking up to you!
Tammie Kelshaw

Edward J. Wittic
U.S. Army, World War II

My hero is my dad, who served as Staff Sergeant in the U. S. Army Combat Engineers
in the European Theater Operations during WWII. My dad landed in Normandy 8 days
after D-Day and served across Europe, including Germany. His combat engineering
battalion was involved at the Remagen Bridge. He was wounded in Germany and was
awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.
Rest In Peace Dad. I love you.
Gloria

Emil R. Ponticelli
U.S. Army, World War II
D-Day Invasion
My hero, and even more so, the hero of the entire Ponticelli Family is P.F.C. Emil R.
Ponticelli, Co. K, 359 Inf., who served and died in World War II. Emil lived a very family
and church-oriented childhood. He was the youngest of 12 children of a close knit
Italian Family. His parents, who loved him very much were Josephine (D’ambrosio) and
Luca Ponticelli of Atlantic Street in Bethlehem. He was an active member of Our Lady
of Pompei (Holy Rosary) Church on 4th street.
Emil’s last letter home from basic training said they were trained with broomsticks
because of the shortage of rifles. Even so, he did survive the invasion of Normandy. He
was in the second wave of troops to land on Utah Beach, but was killed by a sniper’s
bullet at Cherbourg, France on June 18, 1944. He had just turned 19 years old.
His remains were buried at Sainte-Mere-Eglise Cemetery, France. However, his mother
Josephine, wanted his remains brought back to Bethlehem for burial. This was done several
years after his death. The closed coffin was accompanied by two Sergeants, and the funeral
was held at their home on Atlantic Street. When the Sergeants took a cigarette break,
several male family members lifted the coffin and could not believe how light it was.
After the funeral, rumor had it that Emil was a patient at an Army Hospital – that
because he had no arms or legs, he did not want his family to know and be a burden on
them. Luca, his father, asked his so-in-law Andrew Varady (my father) to bring him to all
the VA Hospitals in the area to look for Emil, However, they could not find him.
His remains are buried at Holy Savior Cemetery, Bethlehem.
Dorothy Gloria Ann Hersh (Emil’s Niece)