DiBenedetto, Michael

Michael DiBenedeto was born on April 1, 1921 in Philadelphia. He was one of eight children. 

Michael later moved to Berwyn, Pennsylvania. He found employment with the American Non Gran Bronze Company. The company was named because they made bronze bearings to government specifications with nongranular qualities. The company made bearings which were used in Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, for his historic flight across the Atlantic in 1927.
Army Logo Shadow
Michael enlisted in the Army on September 26, 1942. He was trained in the Combat Engineers. He was sent to England in April, 1943 and served with Company A 37th Engineer Combat Battalion.

The 37th Combat Engineers was assigned to go ashore in the first waves on Omaha Beach, Normandy, to clear beach obstacles and mines. The hundreds of metal and wood obstacles, many of them containing mines, were meant to rip out the bottom of landing craft as they became submerged in the rapidly rising tide. 

Sergeant Michael DiBenedeto was Killed In Action on June 6, 1944 at Omaha Beach, Normandy France, He never made it to the beach alive. He was survived by his wife, Filomena, and (then) six month old daughter who never got to meet her father.

Michael is buried at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial at Coleville-sur-Mer.

Note: Michael’s last name is spelled with a De in some records.

Credits

 
Research by Don Wambold, WCMSC