Pete Santoro
G Company
Picture above L to R
Ben Bradshaw, Pete Santoro, Jack Hare, Leon Padell, CJ Lipparelli
Pete Santoro who in his 90's still lives in Massachusetts, was featured in the March 18, 1944 issue of "The Outpost" on page 3.
"Trainer Pete Santoro of G Company (name familiar? - Pete had the ringsiders on the edge of their seats back in Boston along about '36-'38. He traded leather with the best of the division in NEw England. Pete hit the sports page many an issue. It was "One-Punch" Pete, in those days. And that punch took him to the top-challenger bracket for the world's championship) ..."
"...Pete catches the boys with unguarded jaw now and then during sparring practice..."
"...Pete is mighty proud of his team. He has taken them all under his pugilistic wing..."
Iwo Jima
Pete Santoro was in Co G 2nd Battalion on Iwo Jima, his Comanding Officer Capt McCarthy won the Medal of Honor. He is remembered in "Iwo Jima 1945: The Marines Raise the Flag on Mount Suribachi" by Derrick Wright as follows
"...Pfc Pete Santoro who recalls: 'I took it on myself to go to my left as teh otehrs moved right, and below me was the entrance to a tunnel. I saw two Japs with rifles crawling out on their hands and knees. I shot them both in the back I'm sorry to say as I don't know how to say turn around in Japanese. Captain McCarthy came around the other side and shot htem again and I said I got them already. As we went to take more high ground I fouind the entrance to another tunnel. I fired a rifle grenade but it fell short so I fired my last one. As I started to move in I was shot in the back. It felt like I was hit with a sledgehammer..."
"...the jap had hit my M1 ammunition clip and my shells had shattered and penetrated all over my back' Santoro was eventually taken to the hospital ship Solace and after treatment returned to the beach...."
"...he returned to his unit much to the surprise of McCarthy who put him in charge of the ammunition dump. On March 9, a mortar round exploded close by and Santoro was severely concussed. Returning again to the Solace, he swore that he would not be returning to that island..."
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