In his time growing up, Wareham’s Gene Pizzolato never really heard his father, Nicholas Pizzolato, speak about his time in WWII.

Gene recalls seeing a mysterious scar on his father’s back and his father would simply tell him he had been shot in the war.

“He never said much more,” Gene said, adding, “You know, as kids we never asked for much more, either.”

However, when one of Nicholas’ grandsons had to do a project on his grandparents for school, the whole family was left shocked from hearing what he had learned, according to Gene.

He said he recommends encouraging relatives to speak up about their time in the military. “Because from our experience, unless you ask, you might not ever know.”

Nicholas joined the army in 1943 during WWII as a medic. Like many of the soldiers at the time, he was 19 years old and straight out of high school.

According to Gene, Nicholas participated in the Normandy Invasion at Omaha Beach.

One day in 1944 Cherbourg, France, Nicholas was on the front lines and wanted to help two soldiers who were injured in the field by sniper fire, Gene said. However, the commanding officer told him, “No,” and that those patients could wait.

“My father disobeyed the order, went out, grabbed these two wounded soldiers,” he added. “When he got back, he felt something and he realized he had been shot.”

Gene recalls his father explaining when he woke up in a field hospital in France, someone was calling his name. He raised his hand and ended up receiving court martial papers for disobeying his commanding officer.

Later on that day, Nicholas heard his name being called out again. He raised his hand and that’s when he was given the Bronze Star for heroic service, Gene said. The court martial papers were subsequently “torn up.”

Nicholas also received a Purple Heart for his bravery, according to Gene.

When Nicholas later went to Sicily, where his family lived, “word had got out that one of their own was coming to visit. The streets were lined with people and he was in a donkey cart waving at everyone as he entered his mother’s hometown,” he said.

“He sat on this story for 40 years,” Gene added.

After his injury, Nicholas returned to duty and served during the Battle of the Bulge. 

He was then assigned hospital duties in France and was discharged on February 12, 1946.

Following his service, Nicholas attended college in Switzerland, where he had to learn French for his classes, and he became a doctor.

Nicholas received the French Legion of Honor, France’s most distinguished decoration, the same year he died in 2011.

“It’s pretty remarkable what all those young men did,” Gene said, adding he and his family are “very proud” of his father.

Nicholas is one of the veterans who will be celebrated this coming Veterans Day as a part of the parade committee’s “Honor YOUR Veteran” fundraiser where anyone can honor a special veteran in their life, according to Nora Bicki, a member of the parade committee. 

Those interested can pick up a flyer outside the town clerk’s office or from the Council on Aging. There is also the option to print out a copy from the Veterans Day Parade Facebook page or the PDF attached to this story. The deadline is Saturday, Oct. 21.

Regarding the parade, Gene said, “I’m very proud of the town for setting up the celebration that they’ve done and I’m sure he would be very proud, too.”