Dierk's page - John J Gialluca


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This page is dedicated to John J Gialluca

John J Gialluca
Born October 04, 1925 in Canton, Ohio

3rd AD, 32 Reg, 2nd B, Co F, Medium Tank Gunner # 316

John's son Doug sent me the following letter:
The last tank battle in Cologne Germany on March 6 1945 happened as Corporal Gunner John J Gialluca approached the square of town between two buildings where suddenly by surprise a Panther Mark V hit there Sherman tank. John remembers the tank burning and they were trapped. The shrapnel went through his legs and he said he was pinned to his seat when a second blast under the turret forced him free from his position. There were no other survivors except Corporal John J Gialluca. There was another tank disabled next to his tank that tried to help the injured. They found John lying on the ground with his 45 caliber hand gun in his hand. Then John said as they were helping him he could hear the blast and gunfire from what is known now the battle of the last tank. The Sherman tank that Corporal John J Gialluca was in was facing the cannon of the 75mm high velocity Panther Mark V. The 76 mm is questionable as for penetrating the heavy armored Panther head to head. This was Johns second tank hit in his journey from Normandy Beach and very fortunate to survive. Corporal Gunner John J Gialluca was sent to an England hospital where he had a lengthily recovery and was able to walk again. After a long fight with kidney cancer John went to be with the Lord on July 5th 1998.

The pictures on this webpage were collected and sent by John's son Doug, Canton, Ohio

1) John J Gialluca
2) John J Gialluca 1990, he was about 65 years of age about 8 years before he died
3) John and other soldiers
4) John and other soldiers
5) John and two unknown women in Belgium. Doug wrote: "I found out that they sent that picture to him with a letter and they were friends of his. They greeted him as their liberator. The girls were in front of their house in Binche. Their Father and brother were civilians and in a German camp.If you look real close my Dad is standing on a board to raise himself up to there height. It is great and that is a great picture of him."
6) PzKpf IV H tank in Belgium. Doug wrote:" I remember a story that my father told me that when they were crossing the country side, I believe in December it was freezing cold. I believe they were out of fuel. To secure the area the gunner (Corporal John) would fire with the machine gun in a zig zag pattern with tracer bullets. I think it was night time when they last fired this drill. Then in the morning they would scout to find a German soldier frozen to a tree with the machine gun bullets through him and the tree. The German soldier had a anti tank' bazooza' with his finger on the trigger and the sights on the tank. The tank would have been destroyed within seconds of there gun drill and the skill to maneuver this large gun.He said that they took turns to scout and he remembered dragging two five gallon cans of fuel for a very long distance through the deep snow.My father was discharged at 148 pounds so this was quite a task for him. They had a choice either to freeze to death or find fuel. And at the same time they were sitting ducks."
7) John at hospital in England
8) Nurses at hospital in England
9) John (left side) and nurse at hospital in England
10) John
11) John
12) Army of the United States - Honorable Discharge September 13, 1945
13) John's marriage, July 27th 1946. The gentleman standing next to him was his brother Tony whom was one of the five brothers and four sisters
14) John and his wife Helen

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