Attilio Anthony Centofanti

"Shenny"

Marine Corps Reserve | Service Number 419085

Born

March 1, 1923
in Pittsfield, MA

Parents

Antonio Centofanti (d. 1940)
Consolina (Guglielmi) Centofanti

School

Pittsfield High School (1940)

Pre-War Employment

General Electric Company
Capacitor department

Entered Service

November 4, 1942
at Albany, NY

Joined First Battalion

January 3, 1943
from 17th Separate Recruit Battalion

Left First Battalion

March 8, 1945
Killed in action at Iwo Jima

Left Service

March 8, 1945
Killed in action

Home Address and Next of Kin

220 Robbins Avenue, Pittsfield, MA – home of mother, Mrs. Consolina Centofanti

Service & Campaigns

Before joining battalion

Boot camp at New River with 17th Separate Recruit Battalion. Outposted directly to Baker Company, First Separate Battalion (Reinforced) on 3 January 1943.

Roi-Namur

Outfit: B/1/24th Marines
Rank: Private First Class
MOS: 745 (Rifleman)

Campaign Narrative

Saipan

Outfit: B/1/24th Marines
Rank: Private First Class
MOS: 521 (Basic)
Important Events:
July 18, 1944 – promoted to corporal

Campaign Narrative

Tinian

Outfit: B/1/24th Marines
Rank: Corporal
MOS: 521 (Basic)

Campaign Narrative

Iwo Jima

Outfit: B/1/24th Marines
Rank: Sergeant
MOS: 737 (Rifle NCO)
Important Events:
March 8, 1945 – killed in action (shrapnel, head); exact circumstances unknown.
March 9, 1945 – buried in Plot 1, Row 25, Grave 1241, Fourth Marine Division Cemetery

Campaign Narrative

Individual Decorations

Medal
Purple Heart

Campaign
Iwo Jima (March 8, 1945)

Citation
—

Note: Centofanti was recommended for the Bronze Star Medal after the Mariana Islands campaigns. It is not known if this decoration was ever awarded.

A friend we called Shenny (his real name was Centofanti) received a new watch from home that had a stopwatch feature. He had a lot of fun on ship timing anything he saw moving. He would come up and say, "Pope, it took you 20 seconds to climb that ladder," or "we have been in the chow line 40 minutes." When we were in the boat headed in [to iwo Jima] he said he was going to start the timer when the ramp came down and see how long it takes him to kill his first Jap.