Original Grouping. One-of-a-Kind. This is the tremendous uniform grouping of 1st Lieutenant Samuel A. Saldutti, Mortar Platoon, Company D, 328th Infantry, 26th “Yankee” Infantry Division. There is a great 15-minute interview with Saldutti discussing his service and his battlefield commission during the Battle of the Bulge, which can be found at this link. Saldutti was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart Medal with an Oak Leaf Cluster.
The grouping includes Saldutti’s Ike Jacket with his ribbons & CIB, two gorgeous wood-burnings made from cut pieces of trees dated 1945, his N.O.B.C. Medal of Valor, and a gorgeous double-sided German banner signed on both sides by 56 members of his company, Saldutti included!
The grouping includes:
- A Gorgeous German NSDAP banner, 29 x 64”, signed on both sides by 56 members of Saldutti’s company including Saldutti himself. This is an extremely scarce piece in its own right, but to come with the Lieutenant’s uniform grouping is just extravagant.
- Wood-burnt piece of a tree, likely a Birch tree, measuring 8 x 3½”, which is named to Saldutti and lists his unit and locations traveled, dated MAY 1945.
- Wood-burnt piece of a tree, this one measuring 10 x 4”, with the same information as the other piece, except there are crossed rifles behind the 26th Division insignia, and this one is dated JUNE 1945.
- Saldutti’s Engraved N.O.B.C. (National Order of Battlefield Commissions) Medal of Valor, engraved on the reverse 1016 S.A. SALDUTTI WORLD WAR II. We can’t find any other examples of this medal but it was likely awarded for Saldutti’s Valor during the Battle of the Bulge. The medal is in its original presentation case with the ribbon and is in fantastic condition.
- Saldutti’s Ike Jacket uniform which has a 26th Infantry Division patch on the left shoulder, U.S. & Infantry Officer’s collar insignia, his Combat Infantry Badge, and a 5 ribbon bar above the left breast pocket including the Bronze Star, Purple Heart with OLC, European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 4 campaign stars, the American Campaign Medal, and the Army Good Conduct Medal. Saldutti’s Dog Tags on a chain are hanging out of the left breast pocket. There is a nametag in the pocket which appears to read SAM A. … so we are confident it was Saldutti’s uniform.
- Saldutti’s Officer’s jacket, with no insignia except for a gorgeous Bullion Combat Infantry Badge. There is likely enough insignia in the grouping to put this uniform back together, but it would require some extra pieces as well.
- Pair of Saldutti’s Trousers.
- A Gorgeous US Army Pennant measuring 23 x 8½” which is affixed with some of Saldutti’s insignia including two Combat Infantry Badges, his Enlisted US and Infantry collar discs, his officers’ US & infantry collar insignia, a US WWII Victory ribbon, an Army Good Conduct ribbon, and a small pin of a dog which is engraved “go”.
- Two Yankee Division patches, one with two Infantry Officer’s insignia and a small floral pin attached.
- Saldutti’s insignia including a spare CIB badge, a US enlisted disc, his three overseas stripes, and 10 ribbons including 9 on rows of 3, including the Purple Heart (3), Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal (3), European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 4 stars (2), and the American Campaign medal. There is also Saldutti’s WWII Victory Medal with the ribbon.
- A Neck medal reading HONORED WWII VETERAN APRIL 11, 2006 awarded to Saldutti, likely at a Veteran’s event.
- A small plaque measuring 7¾ x 6½” reading 1ST LT. SAMUEL A. SALDUTTI PATTON’S 3RD ARMY with a plate in the middle.
- WWII 26th Infantry Division History named to Saldutti and signed by 6 of his comrades.
- Several small manuals and booklets, some named to Saldutti and some not.
- A small ID pin made for Saldutti’s wife, Jean R. Saldutti, likely to be worn to veteran’s events after her husband’s passing.
Samuel Anthony Saldutti was born on July 27th, 1923 in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. He registered for the draft at the age of 18, and enlisted in the U.S. Army on February 13th, 1943, being assigned to the 328th Infantry Regiment, 26th Infantry Division. He spent over a year training between various camps as indicated in his interview, and traveled overseas to Europe on August 11th, 1944. According to his interview, he was with the 328th Infantry Combat Team 1st Battalion Company D, Mortar Platoon. We traveled to another camp to fill up the 328th to make it a complete division with the 101st, 104th, 328th Infantry Regiments. We were the 26th Yankee Division.
Saldutti was assigned to the Mortar Platoon of his company, and saw extremely heavy combat overseas, clocking in 220 days of combat according to his interview, traveling through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Ardennes, Czechoslovakia, Austria, and more. For his time during the Battle of the Bulge, I will list my transcription of what he spoke about in his interview:
Battle of the Bulge was 1944, we had been in combat for quite a few days and we were relieved by the 29th Division, near Sarlaw, Germany, and sent to city of Metz, where we were supposed to regroup, fill up the company with recruits, rest period, then go back to the front. But we were only at Metz for 48 hours when the call came through to pack up and get ready to move out. Next morning they piled us into trucks and took us to Bastogne where the Germans had made a breakthrough and with Patton’s 3rd army that was the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge. Since we had lost our Lieutenant, Co. D was left with no officers in charge. At the time I was a Staff Sergeant in the Mortar Platoon, and I was approached by the Captain about the situation, either they’d send up officers from the rear or I’d be commissioned, and I accepted it, and one night we went to Bastogne where we were discharged and commissioned, and next morning back on the front lines. New clothes, new shoes, etc. All men in my platoon were in agreement that they wanted me to do this, since they didn’t want to have to train a new officer.
Terrible loss of life in the Battle of the Bulge, one thing that sticks out in my mind the most, are some of our troops who were killed in action and covered with snow, had to be listed as missing in action, because there was no identification, so from December until Springtime they were listed as missing in action, we knew they were gone but their families back home didn’t know. In the springtime, they sent a burial detail up to Bastogne after the snow thawed, and at that time they were legally “Killed in Action” and brought back to the states. After the Bulge we continued on through a few more major battles, but at the Bulge I had a battlefield commission, and I was lucky to come through it, I was wounded and received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
Saldutti finished the war as a 1st Lieutenant, still serving with the same company, and returned stateside on January 2nd, 1946, being discharged on February 10th, 1946. After the war, Saldutti worked as a Maintenance Worker in the Radio Tube industry. In 2007 he was interviewed, his interview being available online as mentioned. He passed away on June 27th, 2009, at the age of 85.
This is a tremendous grouping to a Battle of the Bulge Battlefield Commissioned Bronze Star recipient, with tons of great display pieces. The Captured & Signed German flag really ties it all together. Comes ready for further research and display.
Approximate Measurements:-
Ike Jacket:
Collar to shoulder: 9.5"
Shoulder to sleeve: 25”
Shoulder to shoulder: 17"
Chest width: 19”
Waist: 17.5"
Hip width: 17.5"
Front length: 24"
Officer's Jacket:
Collar to shoulder: 10"
Shoulder to sleeve: 25”
Shoulder to shoulder: 17"
Chest width: 20.5”
Waist: 18"
Hip width: 23"
Front length: 33.5"
Pants:
Waist: 16"
Inseam: 30.5"
