CONSTANTINO V. NATOLI, received the Distinguished Service Cross for his extraordinary heroism in action on 28 May 1944 while with the 141st Infantry, 36th Infantry Division, then fighting in Italy. On that day, Private Natoli, rifleman, was advancing with his unit over gentle, rolling terrain in an attack on the well fortified, savagely defended enemy positions on the higher ground near Velletri. The company suddenly became the target for accurately hurled hostile grenades and was pinned to the ground by rapid bursts of machine gun fire which raked the area. Disdainful of personal security, Private Natoli crawled to a position from which he could observe the enemy machine gun nest, then tossed hand grenades at the position successfully destroying it. The enemy force began shelling the area with mortar fire, and Private Natoli voluntarily moved toward the source of the fire. As he approached a group of buildings, another enemy machine gun opened fire on him from one of the houses. He dropped to the ground, and although the terrain afforded little concealment and no cover, moved forward, crawling and creeping toward the gun emplacement until he reached a point which overlooked the position. He fired several accurate rounds from his grenade launcher which knocked out the gun and destroyed two of the enemy soldiers. Spotting a third machine gun ensconced in a nearby wine cellar, he advanced on the position, fired several grenades into the midst of the hostile force, then commanded the terrified soldiers to surrender. By his daring aggressiveness, he captured eighteen prisoners and enabled his squad to continue its advance toward its objective.

Mr. Natoli joined the Legion of Valor in 1963 and resided in New Jersey.