Jack A. Baratto

Jack A. Baratto

Mr. Baratto entered the Army on November 24, 1942.

He served as a Sergeant and interpreter for Italian prisoners of war who were transferred from Florence, Arizona. As prisoners were being returned to Naples via the Panama Canal, a ship''s boiler malfunctioned and the vessel docked at Acapulco, Mexico, for repairs. Here, about 200 prisoners escaped.

Ship returned to the U.S. via Casablanca, French Morocco, stopping to pick up American troops from Cairo, Egypt, "an unforgettable ordeal."

At Camp Knight, "prisoners constructed a beautiful fountain, organized a choral group and jazz band. One was a fine pianist and a good friend of Arturo Toscanini, then director of the New York Philharmonic."

He received the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and World War II Victory Medal.

Mr. Baratto was honorably discharged on April 21, 1946.

Source: Hometown Heroes:  The Saint Louis County World War II Project, page 31.

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