About
Matteo Tascillo, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Tascillo, was born on November 29, 1921, in Schenectady, New York. Before joining the Navy, he was employed by General Electric after graduating from vocational high school.
Matteo joined the United States Navy on December 15, 1942, and reported for basic training in Newport, Rhode Island. He was assigned to the USS Custer and held the rank of Coxswain. On February 19, 1944, Matteo was in charge of a small boat between a transport ship and the beaches during the invasion of Eniwetok. He offered to take more men in his boat while being heavily under Japanese fire. The boat was impaled on a coral reef fifty yards from the shore and was impossible to release. When Matteo rose up to assess the situation, he was killed by hostile fire. He is buried in St. John the Baptist Cemetery, Schenectady, New York.
Sources: The Schenectady Gazette, Find A Grave, Ancestry