PFC Felix B. Mestas, Jr.
The Unknown Hero
of Battle Mountain
"September,
1944. The Appenine mountains in Italy were
misted with the first of winter's chill
as members of Company G of the 350th Infantry
struggled up the muddy slopes of Mount Battaglia.
Company G was about to face its bloodiest
confrontation of World War II. There would
be only three survivors and they would live
because of one soldier's sacrafice."
Source:Mt.Mestas
- The Hero Behind The Mountain |
Private First Class Felix B. Mestas,
Jr. died a hero's death on an Italian battlefront
in one of the bloodiest battles of World War II on
29 September 1944, just a month after his 23rd birthday.
His bravery that day was reported but for a time his
identity remained a mystery, lending him the title
of "The Unknown Hero of Battle Mountain". Soon after,
the complete story came out.
| The
Battle
Mountain Regiment
|
|
|
|
The
350th Infantry Regiment was
awarded the Distinguished
Unit Citation for Monte Battaglia
and took the nickname "The
Battle Mountain Regiment".
-------->Read Citation. |
|
|
There
were only 442 Medal of Honor
citations in all of WW2.
265 of them were awarded
to U.S. Army persons. Two
were awarded to men of the
88th.
On
June 21, 2000, 22 World
War II Asian American veterans
and others of Asian descent
were awarded the Medal of
Honor for a total 464 WW2
medals.
|
Captain
Robert E. Roeder
Company G
350th Infantry Regiment
PFC
Mestas' company
commander, Capt.
Roeder, received
a Medal of Honor
for his actions
at Monte Battaglia
27-28 Sep. 1944. |
----->
Read Medal Citation
|
Second Lieutenant
Charles W. Shea
Company F
350th Infantry Regiment
Second
Lieutenant Charles
W. Shea received
a Medal of Honor
for his actions
near Mount Damiano,
Italy, 12 May 1944. |
----->
Read Medal Citation
|
Private
First Class
Felix B. Mestas
Company G
350th Infantry Regiment
PFC
Mestas was investigated
for a Medal of Honor
citation. Some think
that possibly he didn't
receive one because
of his Hispanic heritage.
He was postumously
awarded the Silver
Star Medal.
Read
"Silver Star or Medal
of Honor?" Col.
Edwin Todd Wheatley,
Jr.'s, story about
advocating for a Mestas
Medal of Honor upgrade. |
----->
Read Medal Citation
|
|
|
Mt.Mestas
Mt.
Baldy, a nearby mountain that had
been Junior's favorite place for
all his life, was renamed Mt.Mestas
in his honor.
See Congressional
Record ------->
|
|
|
The Mt.Mestas
Memorial Monument was erected at
a highway turn-out atop the mountain's
La Veta Pass highway. Made of Colorado
rose granite taken from the mountain
itself, it was engraved with the
names of 63 men of Huerfano County
who died in World War II.
See
Memorial Website page - >
|
|
88th
Division
Route Map Poster
of World War II
This 88th Infantry
Division World War 2 Route
Map poster was sold by
the 88th Infantry Division
Association at their 50th
Anniversary reunion in
1992. Only 1700 copies
were printed. This rare
poster has only appeared
on Ebay once in the last
15 years and it sold for
$90. I have half size
11x17 reprints of the
original. Please contact
me
for details.
|
This
poster is for sale
again! |
More
> |
|
|
|
The
88th
Infantry Division
In Words and Pictures
The Invasion of Italy is one of the least
documented areas of the
War.
We are trying to recreate the 15,000
man roster of the 88th Infantry
Division through pictures
for a Pictures and Bios
CD. We're looking for any
bios, stories or World War
II photos of the 88th Infantry
Division in the U.S. or
any photos of the 88th in
the USA, Africa or Italy
during World War II or from
the Triest Occupation period
1945-47. If you would like
to contribute please email
us at Hello@MtMestas.com. |
|
|
|
The
88th Infantry Division
"Blue Devils"
The 88th Infantry
Division was the first organized Reserve Division
to go overseas, and also the first to enter combat.
During the time it was in combat, from March 4 1944
to May 2 1945, the Blue Devils suffered over four
thousand battle casualties, of whom twelve hundred
were killed in action.
Statistics
| Activated: |
15
July 1942 |
| Overseas: |
6
Dec 1943 |
Campaigns |
| Rome-Arno |
| North Apennines |
| Po Valley |
| Days
of combat: |
317
|
| Killed
in Action: |
2,137
|
| Wounded
in Action: |
8,248
|
| Missing
in Action: |
521
|
| Captured |
379
|
| Total
Casualties |
11,258
|
|
Awards
| Medal
of Honor: |
|
2 |
| Distinguished
Service Cross: |
|
40
|
| Distinguished
Service Medal: |
|
2
|
| Silver
Star: |
|
522
|
| Legion
of Merit: |
|
66
|
| Soldier's
Medal: |
|
19
|
| Bronze
Star Medal: |
|
3,784
|
| Combat
Infantryman's
Badge: |
|
|
|
|
Regiments cited for outstanding
performance of duty in action. |
Laiatico,
Italy
9 - 13 July 1944
3rd Battalion
351st Infantry Regiment
The 3rd Battalion,
351st Infantry Regiment, is cited
for outstanding performance of duty
in action during the period 9 to
13 Jnly 1944 in the vicinity of
Laiatico, Italy.
 |
Monte
Battaglia, Italy
27 Sep - 3 Oct
1944
2nd Battalion
350th Infantry Regiment
The 2nd Battalion,
350th Infantry Regiment is cited
for outstanding performance of duty
in action during the period 27 September
to 3 October 1944 at Mt. Battaglia,
Italy.
|
Monte
Capello, Italy
27 Sep - 1 Oct 1944
2nd Battalion
351st Infantry Regiment
The 2nd Battalion, 351st
Infantry Regiment is cited for
outstanding performance of duty
in action during the period 27
September to 1 October 1944, near
Mt.Capello,
Itlay.
|
|
Monte Battaglia
Shall e'er
forgotten be Battaglia's
height, "Gainst which the trait'rous
Hun cast all his might? Where many
a noble Yank now sleeps at rest,
with Coldstream too, upon that castled
crest.
Shall be forgot
the Valmaggiore Trail, that path of
sticky mud and glutinous shine. Winding
its treacherous way o'er hill and
vale, shall we forget it ever in our
time?
Full many
a tiring mile we toiled and fell.
But ever up and onward to this hill
for hill it was when Jerry let things
fly and many a cherished son marched
there - to die.
Many a Hun
attack was launched in vain and on
the ground was left his bloody stain.
For Coldstream Guards, the Scots and
Welsh Guards, too, defended to the
death - and saw it through.
Noble and
proud the Castle stood on high; That
undefeated Watchtower, 'gainst the
sky. Stern by day, but somehow changed
at night, "Twas almost human
in the waning light.
Could it but
speak, a wondrous tale 'twould tell,
how on Battaglia's slopes men fought
and fell. In grim defence against
th'attacking Hun, and many a grave
was there when it was done.
American,
Coldstream, Welsh - aye, German, too,
lie scattered round the Castle, 'neath
the blue. And in our memories the
Guards still keep, the Castle, and
Battaglia's massive steep.
S.B. Hill - Italy
- 20 April 1945 |
|
|
