Johnnie, amidst intense battle on April 20, 1945, earned a Bronze Star Medal for heroic achievement in action. The general order read:
Company “B”, 337th Infantry Regiment, United States Army.
For heroic achievement in action on 20 April 1945, in Italy.
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Johnnie’s Bronze Star Medal and case |
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General Order Number 57 – June 26, 1945 |
Sgt. Andrew Gondal (age 26), one of the soldiers pictured in the photo Johnnie sent home in late March, was killed in action on April 20. Hailing from Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, Sgt. Gondal enlisted in the Army on May 21, 1942. A member of the 337th Infantry Regiment, 85th Infantry Division, he was shipped overseas in December 1943, leaving behind his beloved wife, Anna C. Alexicko, whom he had married just a month earlier, on November 7, 1943. He was buried at the Florence American Cemetery and Memorial in Florence, Città Metropolitana di Firenze, Toscana, Italy. Sgt. Gondal had previously received a Purple Heart for injuries received in November 1944.
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Sgt. Andrew Gondal |
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Marker for Sgt. Andrew Gondal, 1918–1945, Florence American Cemetery and Memorial, Florence, Città Metropolitana di Firenze, Toscana, Italy (photo used with permission of Mark Houston, Find A Grave member 50997147) |
On April 21, 1945, the advance began at 6 AM along the north-south road between Loreto and Calderino. Company A, leading the 1st Battalion, encountered no opposition but faced slow progress due to rough terrain. By 7:40 AM, they were near Casetta, having captured 21 prisoners of war. Meanwhile, Company L approached Tignano, a high, barren hill with houses and a church—a formidable strongpoint that resisted fiercely for hours.
At 7:55 AM, the Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon bypassed the resistance faced by riflemen in the hills and reached within 1500 yards of Gesso. By 8:25 AM, Lieutenant Clarence L. Guffey dramatically radioed that he was at Gesso—the first American troops to enter the Po Valley.
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Po Valley Campaign, Map No. 42, April 5 – May 2, 1945, Chester G. Starr, “From Salerno to the Alps, a History of the Fifth Army, 1943–1945,” public domain, p. 428 |
Click here to view a video of the 85th Division breaking into Po Valley. While the image quality is poor, it will give you an idea of what the regiment saw as it happened.
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85th Division breaks into Po Valley. ARC Identifier 17947, local identifier 111-ADC-4145, Department of Defense, Department of the Army, Office of the Chief Signal Officer, (new Bologna offensive), Italy; drive to Bologna, Italy, April 20, 1945, copied by Thomas Gideon. |
A second video by realmilitaryflix shows more: WWII - Italy - Allies Push Near the Po Valley.
During the battle, the 1st Battalion encircled the German forces by launching a frontal assault with Company A and flanking around the left side with Company B. By 9:25 AM, Company B had captured M. Rocoa, including a battalion commander and 25 soldiers. Simultaneously, the 3rd Battalion faced heavy enemy resistance. Company L’s initial assault fell short of the objective by 10:30 AM. Undeterred, Company K initiated a right flank maneuver with tank support at 11 AM. The battle raged on for hours as men crawled and fought their way up the steep slopes of the hill.
At noon, the regiment received additional missions: seizing high ground overlooking Casalecchio, assisting II Corps in emerging from the Reno Valley, and establishing an outpost line from Casalecchio to the Communale Bridge over the Laviono River. The 2nd Battalion, with the Antitank Company attached, was tasked with the outpost mission. Tanks and tank destroyers supported the 2nd Battalion. By 3 PM, both Casetta and M. Rocca had been secured, and Company A advanced toward the village west of M. Malgotto. Simultaneously, weary Company K soldiers, along with a single tank, reached the crest of the Tignano ridge, where a garrison of 140—including several dozen wounded—surrendered. Following a hasty reorganization, Company I led the advance toward M. Capra.
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