An untold tale of heroism discovered in Barrington

Louis Santelli learns why his late brother was awarded a Bronze Star 72 years ago

By Josh Bickford
Posted 5/3/16

In late March, Louis Santelli buried his older brother, Eugene, up at the Maria del Campo Cemetery off Barrington Avenue. 

Eugene had died in January, two weeks short of his 96th …

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An untold tale of heroism discovered in Barrington

Louis Santelli learns why his late brother was awarded a Bronze Star 72 years ago

Posted

In late March, Louis Santelli buried his older brother, Eugene, up at the Maria del Campo Cemetery off Barrington Avenue. 

Eugene had died in January, two weeks short of his 96th birthday, and Louis kept his brother's ashes at his home until the burial. Eugene left behind 86-year-old Louis, and two sisters — 100-year-old Ann Pipitone of Baltimore, Md., and 92-year-old Terry Craddock of Delray Beach, Fla. 

He also left behind countless untold stories about his experiences during World War II.

Louis, who lived with Eugene in the Santelli family house on Maple Avenue for the last few years, recently learned of one of those stories while he was boxing up some of his brother's belongings. 

Louis said he had packaged up most his late brother's items when he realized he had not located the Bronze Star medal Eugene was awarded during World War II. 

"I knew it was there somewhere, but I couldn't find it," Louis said. "My sister (Terry) called and asked where it was."

Louis scoured the room where Eugene had stayed, and finally located a small box. Inside the box was the Bronze Star medal, and tucked deeper in the box was the official letter from the headquarters of the 77th Infantry Division notifying Eugene of his recognition. And there, on the pages of the letter, was one of Eugene Santelli's untold stories:

"Private Eugene L. Santelli, Company I, 306th Infantry, United States Army. For heroic achievement in connection with military operations against the enemy near Anoa, Guam, M.I., on the 10 August 1944. Private Santelli, accompanied by one other soldier, with complete disregard for his own safety, ran three and one half miles along a trail through mountainous jungle terrain which he knew to be occupied by the enemy to get medical aid for Lieutenant William P. DeBrocke, who had been wounded in the chest. Because of his rapid action and unselfish efforts, medical aid was administered to Lieutenant DeBrocke in time to save his life."

Louis said his brother did not speak about the war, never mind the Bronze Star, when he returned after two years of service. He said Eugene had changed during his time in combat. 

"We never asked him about it," said Louis. "For guys who were in battle, it's a private thing."

The Santelli family learned not to ask questions about the war and life went on. Louis said his brother went to work for the U.S. Postal Service, and liked to spend his free time dancing and playing golf. He said Eugene danced until he was 91 years old, and that women would often phone the house asking for him.

"They said if Gene wasn't going, they weren't going to go either," Louis recalled.

The two brothers, separated by a decade in age, built their own lives but reunited in recent years. Eugene moved in with Louis in the nice two-story home that the family had owned since the Great Depression. And when Eugene's health started to fail, Louis took care of him.

For two years, Eugene's kidneys worsened. And for two years, Louis helped his brother. 

Louis was asleep one night when he heard a loud crash. He thought a tree had fallen on the house. He clambered out of bed and found his brother laying on the kitchen floor. He had fallen hard and could not get up.

Time had caught up with the once fearless soldier.

On a quiet day in January, Eugene Santelli passed away. Louis and other family members planned a quiet burial for late March, after the ground thawed. A two-line obituary ran in the newspaper: "Eugene L. Santelli, passed away at 95 years young. He was a US Army Veteran of World War II."

Louis, who served in the Air Force following World War II, remembers his brother daily and sometimes catches himself talking to Eugene. The house, once home to Louis's mother and father and the seven Santelli children, now grows very quiet.

"I can't help it," Louis said of talking to his late brother.

Louis keeps busy these days with errands and daily trips to the Bayside YMCA to work out — "I do the machines. I can't do the weights any more." 

He also visits his foster son and grandson in Cranston, and occasionally makes trips to the Warwick Mall. It was at the mall when Louis recently bumped into a group of teenagers who were hanging out. Louis started up a conversation which eventually turned its focus to World War II.

The kids, said Louis, were very critical of the United States. He said they spoke about the two bombs the US dropped on Japan and how the US was bad. Louis tried to balance the conversation — he spoke about the POW camps where thousands of Allied troops died. He spoke about other atrocities, and he quietly remembered his brother's heroic acts. 

"They said I was wrong," Louis recalled. "I want to know who the hell is teaching these kids this stuff."

Louis said his brother Eugene served for two years in World War II and was shot in the leg while manning a flame thrower. In addition to the Bronze Star, Euguene was also awarded a Purple Heart and was discharged in 1944.

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