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From the website https://army.togetherweserved.com
Article written by: Jack Oberholtzer.
Private Herman J. Imperatore (7/26/1925-10/1/1944)
U.S. Army – Company A, 48th Armored Infantry Battalion, 7th Armored Division
S/N 42105099
Herman John Imperatore was born on 26 July 1925 to his parents, Herman and Rose Imperatore, in Paterson, Passaic County, New Jersey.
His father, Herman William Imperatore (1897-1985), was born in Paterson to Italian immigrant parents. During WWI, he served overseas as a Private with Company A, 54th Infantry Regiment. He returned to the U.S. on 10 June 1919, after seeing service in France during the Meuse-Argonne and Alsace Campaigns. He later served as commander of the Alexander Hamilton VFW Post #139. He was a plumber by trade, working for a plumbing shop in 1920, proprietor of his own plumbing shop in 1930, and was employed as a plumber at a steam plant in 1940.
On 15 October 1924, Herman, Sr., married Rosalla Amalia Hannig (1899-1954) in Paterson. She was the daughter of German immigrants. Before getting married, Rose was a weaver in a silk mill, probably where her father was employed as a silk dyer. By 1930, the couple owned their own house on Richmond Avenue in Paterson and had three children: Herman, Jr., John and Marie Rose.
Herman, Jr., was well known in Paterson for his cheerful disposition, and he had a host of friends. He was an accomplished accordionist and enjoyed playing for the pleasure of his friends. He was active and loved all sports, but his favorite in which he excelled was baseball. In 1942 and 1943, he was frequently cited for his fielding and excellent hitting skills playing for the Totowa Athletics.
When Herman filled out his draft card on 26 July 1943, he described himself as 5’7-1/2”, 143 pounds, brown eyes, brown hair with a light complexion. He lived at 139 Richmond Avenue, Paterson, Passaic County, N.J. with his parents, and was a student at Central High School.
In 1944, Herman graduated from Central High School in absentia, because he was already serving in the Army in June when his class graduated.
Herman was inducted into the U.S. Army through the Selective Service on 25 January 1944 in Newark, N.J., and left for Fort Dix, N.J. on 15 February. He was sent for basic training at an infantry replacement center at Camp Wheeler, Ga. for 17 weeks, after which he was granted a 10-day furlough, which he spent with his family in July 1944. He then reported to Camp Shelby, Miss., for two weeks, before he was transferred to a port of embarkation. He arrived in France on 11 September, where he went into the replacement pipeline and was eventually assigned as an infantry rifleman to Company A, 48th Armored Infantry Battalion, 7thArmored Division, sometime in late September 1944.
The 7th Armored Division was activated on 1 March 1942 at Camp Polk, Louisianna, and between March and August 1943, trained at Camp Coxcomb, California. It was then sent to Fort Benning, Ga., and reorganized in September 1943, consisting of the 17th, 31stand 40th Tank Battalions and 23rd, 38th and 48th Armored Infantry Battalions (AIB). In late April 1944, the 7th traveled north first to Camp Miles Standish, Massachusetts, then on 2 May to Camp Shanks, New York. On 6 June 1944, it boarded the Queen Mary in New York harbor, sailing for England the next day. It arrived in Scotland on 13 June and trained at Tidworth Barracks in Wiltshire, England, until 7 August.
The 7th Armored Division landed on Omaha and Utah Beaches on 10-12 August 1944, assigned to the Third U.S. Army. The division drove through Nogent-le-Rotrou in an attack on Chartres, which fell on 18 August. From there, it advanced to liberate Dreux and then Melun, where they crossed the Seine River on 24 August. It then pushed on, bypassing Reims and liberated Chateau-Thierry and then Verdun on 31 August. The division continued moving forward to the Moselle and became involved in attacking Metz but was repulsed several times over the next few weeks.
On 25 September, the 7th Armored was transferred to the U.S. First Army, to support Operation Market Garden, and began its march to the Netherlands. The American plan was to have the 7th Armored advance south in eastern Netherlands between the Peel marshes and the Maas River bordering Germany to clear out German resistance. It was to start at the Oploo-St. Anthonis-Boxmeer line, attack south through Overloon and eventually link up with the 1st Belgium Brigade and 113th Cavalry Group advancing north from the Belgium border.
On 30 September, the 7th launched a three-pronged attack from their starting positions against the significant German defenses north of Overloon. Over the next week, these attacks met heavy German resistance and eventually bogged down, not even reaching Overloon or the nearby villages closer to the Maas River. On October 8th, the 7th was relieved from the attack by the British 11thArmoured Division and was moved to the Deurne-Weert area.
During this effort, Company A, 48th AIB was part of Task Force Chappuis, which was the main attack from Oploo approaching Overloon via the Oploo Road on the far-right flank. By 1 October, TF Chappuis had worked its way to be just west of Overloon, but was encountering heavy resistance from a new reinforcement, the Luftwaffenfestungs-Batallion III (Luftwaffe Fortress Bn.), hurriedly brought up from Liessel. Unfortunately, Pfc. Casey was killed in action by artillery fire on 1 October during one of the many attacks and counter attacks that day in the vicinity of Kamphoefweg, west of Overloon.
During the initial action, Private Imperatore was seriously wounded in action, with a wound to the head by artillery fire. He was evacuated to the 41st Evac Hospital and later died of his wounds on 1 October 1944.
Private Herman J. Imperatore would have been entitled to the following awards: Combat Infantryman Badge, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one star for the Rhineland Campaigns and the World War II Victory Medal.
Private Herman J. Imperatore gave his life in service to his country and should be remembered for his sacrifice and dedication to duty. His remains were initially buried at a temporary American Cemetery in Henri Chapelle #1 in Belgium. They were returned to the U.S. on 26 October 1947 aboard the USAT Joseph V. Connolly as part of the Return the WWII Dead Program. He was reinterred on 19 November 1947 and today rests in the Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York, in Section H, Site 7706.
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