Dominick Critelli - U.S. Army 1942-45

Dominick Critelli served as an aircraft mechanic with the 95th Infantry Division Headquarters Battery. It was his job to keep his Artillery Unit’s Piper Cubs flying properly so the crew could conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. His unit identified and observed enemy troop formations, their supply lines, ammunition depots, enemy fortifications and documented their coordinates.

In the winter of 1944, when many American troops thought they would soon be heading home, Hitler launched his last offensive of the War. Over 500,000 German troops with 1000’s of tanks and artillery pieces would surprise American forces. The battle would soon be known as the “Battle of the Bulge.” Dominick’s unit, commanded by General Patton, raced north one hundred miles with 200,000 men and less than 250 tanks to rescue the 80,000 encircled American troops in Bastogne. General Patton’s aggressiveness and quick-thinking strategy pushed the German Army east, across the Rhine and set up the final push for the liberation of the Netherlands.

In November 1944, Mr. Critelli was one of the brave men to fly behind enemy lines in small two passenger observation aircraft to drop much needed supplies to isolated American troops stuck on the enemy side of a the Uckange (yu-kon-jerz) bridgehead. Over a four-day period, brave Americans flew 120 resupply missions to the isolated troops, of which Mr. Critelli volunteered to drop supplies on fourteen of them. When icy wings and frozen carburetors on these tiny planes forced other pilots to stay grounded or to turn back. Mr. Critelli continued with his ”Manna from Heaven” mission. Blood plasma, blankets, socks, gloves, sleeping bags, cigarettes and two bottles of cognac were precisely dropped on isolated American troops positions below. As the crew flew these little aircraft just eight meters above the ground, Dominick sitting in the back of the plane on a 610 radio could see men waving and hear them shouting franticly while standing knee-deep in water in their foxholes. Several dozen bullet holes pierced the fabric wings of his aircraft as he dropped the much-needed supplies and medicine next to their foxholes. For his heroic and meritorious action, Mr. Critelli would earn the Air Medal.

Dominick Critelli would spend 151 days in combat and earn the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign medal with three Bronze Campaign Stars, the American Campaign medal, the WWII Victory medal, a Good Conduct medal.

We would like to thank Dominick’s daughter Nancy and his friend Roger for helping us with this interview.

We were introduced to Dominick by Roger Kilfoil, co-founder of Mission Margraten Plus. Roger and his partner Stephanie Folwell founded Mission Margraten Plus to provide day-trips and overnight trips, as well as local activities and events for elderly New York WWII and other New York Veterans. Their mission is to honor and recognize American’s Veterans for their service and sacrifice.

For more information on Mission Margraten Plus visit www.missionmargratenplus.org