Peter Petrella [aka first name Pietro, Petro, and Pete and aka surname Petrello]

*The editors chose to use the name Peter Petrella, as it is inscribed on his gravestone at Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in France, in spite of the multiple spellings of both his first and last names on various documents.*

*No plaque located*

*The List of Liberty Row Names indicates the possible original location of the plaque*

Birth: 6/24/1888; Pratola Peligna, Italy (Abruzzo region)

Address: 2211 E. 31st St., Cleveland, Ohio

Demographics: age 28 at draft registration; married; Caucasian; declarant for citizenship; reported having served in the military in Italy; claimed wife as a dependent; occupation Laborer at Standard Oil Co., E. 65th St., Cleveland, OH [Standard Oil Co. was an American petroleum company founded in 1870 by John D. Rockefeller.]

Appearance: Height 5'7", Weight 155 lbs., Build slender, Eyes brown, Hair black

Draft Date/Enlistment Date/Rank: 6/5/1917; 10/5/1917; Private

Service Number: 2107691

Deployment: 6/22/1918 from Boston, MA aboard SS Bohemian

Action: 34 Co 9 Tng Bn 158 Dep Brig to Nov 12/17; Co G 348 Inf to Jan 18/18; Hq Co 348 Inf to Apr 19/18; June Aut Repl Draft Cp Merritt NJ to July 27/18; Co L 28 Inf to death. St Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne; Defensive Sector. AEF June 22/18 to death.

Death: October 4, 1918 [5 weeks before the Armistice on November 11, 1918] at age 30 at Champagne-Ardenne, France; cause of death Killed in Action. Per findagrave.com, "Twenty-nine men of the 3rd Battalion were killed in action the same day. Nine of them were in Company L." 

Burial: buried locally after death in Ardenne, France; 6/16/1919 remains disinterred and reburied at Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, Lorraine, France; 9/24/1921 remains disinterred and reburied in final resting place at Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, Lorraine, France, Plot E Row 38 Grave 26

Next of Kin: John (aka Giovanni) Petrella, brother, 2674 E. 114th St., Cleveland, OH (alternate address 2211 E. 31st St., Cleveland, OH); burial card cites emergency address as Mrs. Virginia Petrella, wife, Vieo (probably a misspelling of Via) Schiavonia Pratola, Peligna, Italy 

Additional Information:

Father: On Private Peter Petrella's burial card, it was noted that the designated person to receive compensation was "Panfilo Petrella fu Berardino, father, Pratola Peligna, Province of Aquila, Italy."

Wife: Mrs. Virginia Petrella, Vieo (may be misspelling of Via) Schiavonia Pratola, Peligna, Italy

Additional research was hampered by the multiple spellings of this soldier's first and last names and the prevalence of said names, but we did find a few incomplete details: 

Private Peter Petrella received the Silver Star Citation in GO 88 Hq. 2nd Div., per findagrave.com. When awarded, a 3⁄16-inch (4.8 mm) silver star was placed on the suspension ribbon and service ribbon of the World War I Victory Medal to denote a Citation (certificate) for "Gallantry In Action." (The Silver Star Medal is the successor award to the Citation Star which was established by an Act of Congress on 9 July 1918, during World War I.) 

He reported on his naturalization application that his wife Virginia lived in Italy. 

He may have emigrated in 1907 or 1912. 

His older brother John (aka Giovanni) Petrella also served in WWI and was honorably discharged on 4/29/1919. There may have been another brother in Ohio named Joseph or Giuseppe.