Report on a small-unit action by Battery D, 537th AAA AW Bn from “Antiaircraft Artillery Notes,” HQ ETO, No. 3, November 1944:
Subject: Gallantry in Action.
Source: Antiaircraft Section, Headquarters Twelfth Army Group.a. Another outstanding example of individual gallantry, again from Battery D, 537th AAA AW Bn, has come to our attention.
b. On 10 August 1944, the crew of Gun #4, First Platoon, which was emplaced about 7 miles north of Le Mans, France, were excitedly told by two French civilians that several Germans were hiding in a nearby wood. Two details were organized to round up the Germans. One of the details, consisting of T/5 Albert T. Cascio with two other members of the crew, started out across open fields in the direction of the woods. The other detail took a circular course to approach the woods from the flank.
c. As T/5 Cascio and his detail were crossing one of the fields and were about 100 yards from a heavily wooded hedgerow, without warning a volley of small arms fire came from the hedgerow, forcing the detail to drop quickly to the ground for protection. Without regard for his personal safety, T/5 Cascio rose to a kneeling position and fired a burst of thirty rounds from his sub-machine gun into the hedgerow. Upon completion of the burst, and although he could see an enemy machine gun pointing through the hedgerow, Cascio remained in a kneeling position and demanded that the enemy surrender or be shot. Immediately thirty Germans began to filter through the hedgerow. One of the enemy still held his machine pistol. T/5 Cascio motioned for him to drop the weapon, but instead the German brought it up in a menacing fashion; whereupon, Cascio fired another burst, killing the holder of the machine pistol and wounding four others who were coming through the hedge. This treatment seemed to have an immediate reaction on other Germans still in the hedgerow, as they now began to pour through the hedge, this time with their hands up. The final count showed four (4) officers and sixty-two (62) enlisted men captured.
d. During this whole incident, T/5 Cascio’s two assistants were protecting his flanks. The other detail arrived just as all resistance ceased and took over the prisoners, while T/5 Cascio and his assistants went into the hedgerow to search for any of the enemy who had not surrendered. None were found.
e. A considerable number of enemy hand grenades, ammunition, rifles, pistols, machine pistols and four (4) light machine guns were found in the hedgerow. It is believed that had not T/5 Cascio displayed such boldness, initiative and outright courage in ordering the enemy to surrender that he and his fellow soldiers would have been wiped out and convoys would have been subjected to serious attacks and delay.
f. T/5 Cascio was awarded the Silver Star for the above achievement, and was afforded the additional honor of having it pinned on by General George C. Marshall during a recent 90th Division ceremony.
