Staff Sergeant Andrew Alphanso Tapparo (38008496) was born January 16, 1919 in Bennett, Adams County, Colorado to Joseph and Arrenatta Tapparo. His father was a farmer. Andrew was the youngest of seven brothers. His brother, PFC Chris, served in the Army in Italy in World War II.

Andrew had a grammar school education, was single, and working as a laborer at odd jobs when he enlisted in the U.S. Army on July 10, 1941. He was assigned to the 60th Infantry Regiment (“Go Devils”), 9th Infantry Division (“Old Reliables”), First Army and was sent overseas. He was a member of the Ranger Forces and volunteered for Normandy after having taken part of the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. Being a member of the Ranger Forces, he was always among the first ashore in an invasion. He was among the first to land in Africa, went on for the capture of Sicily, and helped to pioneer the way for the U.S. and British forces in Italy. He volunteered to go to England to help train the invasion forces there and was in the thick of the first stages of the battle of Normandy early in June.

On June 11, 1944, the 60th Infantry Regiment debarked at Utah Beach. During June 1944, the 60th Infantry led the way for the 9th Division as it spearheaded the American advance out of the beachhead that cut the Cotentin Peninsula. the 60th Infantry cleared Cap La Hague by July 1, 1944. The 9th Infantry Division had accomplished the opening chapter of the invasion drama.

On July 13, 1944, the 60th Infantry was in the vicinity of Carentan les Marais, France, eight miles south of Utah Beach when SSGT Tapparo was killed in action. He was 25 years old.

SSGT Tapparo is buried in the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, Colleville-sur-Mer, France, in Plot F, Row 13, Grave 24. This cemetery, sited on a bluff high above the coastline of Normandy, France where the legendary D-Day beach landings took place, is one of the world’s best-known military memorials. These hallowed grounds contain the graves of 9,386 American military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. On the Walls of the Missing, in a semicircular garden on the east side of the memorial, are inscribed 1,557 names.

SSGT Tapparo is honored on the walls of the Colorado Freedom Memorial, Row 71, Column 2, Panel 11. The Memorial is located in Aurora, Colorado, near Buckley Air Force Base. Constructed of glass panels that reflect Colorado’s mountains and blue skies the Memorial holds the names of over 6,000 Coloradans killed or missing in action. They are grouped by war, but names will not be alphabetically listed. Much of the Colorado Freedom Memorial is meant to reflect the chaos of war, including the shuffling of names.

He was awarded the Purple Heart.

Thank you for your sacrifice and service, SSGT Tapparo … Rest in Peace.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We Served and Fold3. Can you help write these stories? These stories will be accessible via smartphone app at any war memorial or cemetery.

SBTSProject/Colorado

If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact me at roktscientist@hotmail.com … I would be honored to make changes/additions where requested.

Sources:

1. 1920, 1930, 1940 Federal Census

2. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56650625/andrew-alphanso-tapparo

3. https://www.abmc.gov/decedent-search/tapparo%3Dandrew

4. https://www.abmc.gov/print/certificate/381839

5. https://www.honorstates.org/profiles/21737/

6. https://airborne-museum.org/nl/collection/soldats-defunts/andrew-a-tapparo/

7. https://coloradofreedommemorial.com/tellustheirstories/honor-roll-directory/?wpbdp_view=search&dosrch=1&listingfields%5B13%5D=andrew&listingfields%5B15%5D=tapparo&listingfields%5B23%5D=

8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/60th_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)

9. https://9thinfantrydivision.net/

Photo Credits:

findagrave.com, wikipedia.com

Andrew A Tapparo