b. 05/02/1895 Cassino, Italy. d. 10/01/1976 Long Beach, New York.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 29/09/1918 Hindenburg Line, near Ronssoy, France.
Michael Valente MOH
Born on February 5, 1895, in Sant’Apollinare ( Frosinone) Italy, Valente immigrated to the United States and joined the Army in 1917 from Ogdensburg, New York. By September 29, 1918, he was serving in France as a private with Company D of the 107th Infantry Regiment, 27th Division. On that day, his unit was participating in an assault on the Hindenburg Line east of Ronssoy when it was held up by intense machine gun fire. With another man, Valente voluntarily moved forward and silenced two machine gun nests, attacked a trench, and killed five Germans and captured 21 others before being wounded. Over a decade later, on September 27, 1929, President Herbert C. Hoover awarded Valente the Medal of Honor during a ceremony on the White House lawn.
MOH CITATION:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy during the operations against the Hindenburg line, east of Ronssoy, France, 29 September 1918. Finding the advance of his organization held up by a withering enemy machine-gun fire, Pvt. Valente volunteered to go forward. With utter disregard of his own personal danger, accompanied by another soldier, Pvt. Valente rushed forward through an intense machine-gun fire directly upon the enemy nest, killing two and capturing five of the enemy and silencing the gun. Discovering another machine-gun nest close by which was pouring a deadly fire on the American forces, preventing their advance, Pvt. Valente and his companion charged upon this strong point, killing the gunner and putting this machine gun out of action. Without hesitation they jumped into the enemy’s trench, killed two and captured 16 German soldiers. Pvt. Valente was later wounded and sent to the rear.
BURIAL LOCATION: LONG ISLAND NATIONAL CEMETERY, FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK.
SECTION DSS, GRAVE 60A.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: FAMILY.
