RIP Sergio A. Moirano | 1924-2016
G Company
357th Infantry Regiment
90th Infantry Division
Sergio A. Moirano was born on June 9, 1924, in Chicago, United States. After completing his training at Fort Dix in 1943, he prepared for deployment to North Africa but was ultimately hospitalized after being bitten by a snake during training. He received a new assignment, this time to the 357th Infantry Regiment of the 90th Infantry Division, which was preparing for the liberation of occupied Europe. After a brief stint at Camp Myles Standish, he crossed the Atlantic and landed in England in February 1944. Preparations for Operation Overlord continued.
Just days before the Normandy landings, Sergio A. Moirano was seconded at the last minute to the 359th Infantry Regiment (90th Infantry Division), which was scheduled to land on Utah Beach on D-Day at 10:00 a.m. He crossed the Channel on the night of June 5-6, 1944, and participated in the assault with Group A of the 90th Infantry Division, alongside men he didn’t know. When he reached Utah Beach shortly after 10:00 a.m., the exploding German shells were still ringing in his ears.
Sergio participated in combat operations with the 359th Infantry Regiment until June 9, his twentieth birthday, when he was wounded by a ricocheting bullet that hit his wrist. Evacuated to England, he then rejoined the 357th Infantry Regiment and served in Company G during the Battle of the Bulge. After days of marches and nights spent battling the enemy and the cold, fatigue took over: he wasn’t awakened for a short nap, and his company left without him. Upon waking alone, he realized he had nearly frozen to death and was suffering from severe hypothermia. He was evacuated to a military hospital in Luxembourg, where he remained until January 1945, before joining the 518th Ordnance Heavy Maintenance Company, an equipment unit responsible for maintaining the equipment provided to soldiers. The after-effects of his hypothermia were felt throughout the war. However, Sergio A. Moirano was fortunate enough to meet his future wife, Renée, in Belgium. After his demobilization, he and his wife settled in the Belgian town of Huy.
Sergio died on July 28, 2016, in Belgium.
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