In 1942, at the age of 21, PFC Serio Perrone had just completed basic training at Camp Grant, and was assigned to Ascension Island, a 20 square mile volcanic island 1,000miles off the coast of West Africa. There, the Allied Forces had built a strategic airfield between the USA and Europe, and he was there to support that key effort. For the next two years, Serio spent his time working in the mess hall on Ascension Island, feeding hundreds of people each day.

People usually think of World War II veterans as those who invaded Normandy, or fought at Iwo Jima. And those certainly were heroic efforts. But just as important were the unsung heroes of the war – those who performed vital support roles in places like Ascension Island. Never knowing what might come over the horizon was something they lived with every day. Serio Perrone described his work as, “We did what we had to do, and that was it.” For every soldier who stood on the front line, there were many others, like Serio, who quietly supported their efforts.

But in 1944, while he was serving his country in relative safety, pain and great sorrow still found him. He learned that his younger brother Phil had been killed in the Battle of The Bulge that winter. Phil was buried in Belgium, and to this day, Serio remembers him fondly.

After the war, Serio returned to Chicago, where he began working for the Chicago Park District. In 1953, he married Marie Cantagello, and they raised their family of 4 daughters and one son in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Even though he lost his wife in 2004, Serio feels fortunate to be surrounded by his children and five grandchildren.

Serio was honored this past Wednesday, July 15th, with an Honor Flight to Washington D.C. After the trip, Serio was ecstatic with joy and excitement. “All those marines and soldiers …I have never seen so many people there that wanted to shake hands with me – everywhere we went people wanted to shake our hands.” He described the day as “awesome and unbelievable.”

For every soldier on the front lines of the war, there were 5 others in support of that person. Some repaired equipment; others planned troop movements or kept the records that were vital to maintaining control over such a vast enterprise. Without that support network, our fighting men and women could never have had the incredible success they had during that war. Because of men like Serio Perrone, our war efforts finally ended the world threats of wartime Germany and Japan. We owe a great debt of gratitude to the Serio Perrone’s of our Armed Forces.

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