Peter Piedro Petracco was born 1 Jan 1921 in Paterson, Passaic County, New Jersey. He was the son of Rocco and Angeline Petracco. Both parents were born in Italy. Peter married Josephine sometime after 1940.

Per the draft registration dated 15 Feb 1942, Peter was 6-foot 0.5-inches tall, weighed about 207 pounds, had brown eyes, black hair and a dark complexion. He had a scar on the left side of his neck. Rocco Petracco was the contact person. Peter was living at 115 Madison Street in Paterson and was employed by the Obiso Paint Contractors.

Peter enlisted into the Army on 24 Nov 1942 in Newark, New Jersey. He served in Company E, 397th Infantry Regiment, 100th Infantry Division.

2nd Lt Peter Piedro Petracco, we thank you for your dedication, service and sacrifice for our country. You are not forgotten.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org/). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.

If you have any details, photos, or corrections for this story, please email me by clicking on the words “Added by:” at the bottom of this story.

Kathy Harmon- Contributing Author, Stories Behind the Stars

Sources –

2LT Peter P Petracco (1921-1945) - Find a Grave Memorial

U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 - Ancestry.com

Page 46 WWII Army and Army Air Force Casualty List - Fold3

Fold3 - Peter P Petracco in WWII Army Enlistment Records

20 Jun 1945, 1 - The Morning Call at Newspapers.com

1940 United States Federal Census - Ancestry.com

U.S., National Cemetery Interment Control Forms, 1928-1962 - Ancestry.com