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Vincent Libassi

World War II & Korean War - U. S. ARMY

Killed In Action

Photo courtesy of: Find A Grave

Vincent (Jimmy) Libassi

May 9, 1919 - August 3, 1950

Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army

19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division

Served in World War II and Korean War
Killed in Action - Korean War

Service #: 06835241

Place of Birth: Breed, Oconto County, Wisconsin

burial: Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington County, Virginia

Purple Heart

Expert Infantryman's Badge

Gravestone birth year is incorrect,
Vincent was born in 1919
He was age 19 years when he inlisted in 1939 in the Army, and later serving in World War II.
He is age 20 years on the 1940 US Census and stationed in the US Army at Balboa, Panama Canal.

World War II Victory Ribbon and Medal	Korean Service Ribbon and Metal Front and Back	Army Good Conduct Ribbon and Medal	Republic of Korea Service Ribbon and Metal
American Campaign Ribbon and Medal - World War II	United Nations Service Ribbon and Medal	National Defense Service Ribbon and Medal	Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citationl Ribbon and Medal

News Article

Oconto County Reporter

August 24, 1950

The fears of worried parents were confirmed Monday when Mr and Mrs Jake Libassi, Suring, received word that their son, S/Sgt Vincent, (Jimmy) Libassi had been killed in Korea.

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Wisconsin State Journal
August 28, 1950

KILLED IN ACTION

Sgt Vincent Libassi, husband of Elizabeth H Libassi Milton Junction

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Wisconsin State Journal
July 6, 1951

8 from State Among 394 Bodies Due Back from Korea

The bodies of 394 Americans, including two from the Madison area and six others from Wisconsin, are being returned from Korea to the United States aboard the Santa Clara Victory. The ship is expected to arrive today at the San Francisco port of embarkation. The two men from the Madison area are Sgt. Vincent Libassi, husband of Mrs. Elizabeth H. Libassi, Milton Junction; and Pvt. Richard E. Smelcer, son of John A. Smelcer. Blue River. Other Wisconsin men Included in the list of dead being returned are: Pfc. Leo F. Falvey, husband of Mrs. Gladyce L. Falvey, Manitowoc; Pfc. Gordon R, Johnson, son of Gustave Johnson, Merrillan;- Pfc. Raymond E. Jose, son of Chester E. Jose, Athelstane; Pvt, William H. Quale, son of Henry Quale, Racine; Pfc. Harvey E. Smith, son of Ronald L. Smith, Milwaukee; and Corp. Fred B. Worzala, husband of Mrs. Loraine I. Worzala, Milwaukee. The body of a man from Upper Michigan is also being returned. He is Pvt. Norman L. Kaminga, son of Mrs. Willimeua Goodrich, vlatchwood, Mich.

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Wisconsin State Journal
July 14, 1951

Sgt. Vincent Libassi Milton Junction—The body of Sgt. Vincent Libassi, who was killed in Korea in August, 1950, has been brought to the United States. Funeral services and burial will be in Arlington National cemetery. The family will be notified when the body reaches Arlington, when final arrangements will be made. Sgt Libassi, whose parents Mr. and Mrs Jake Libassi still live in Suring, Oconto County, Wis., was the fourth Rock county casualty in the Korean war. He was in service for six years. Survivors include his wife Elizabeth, and a daughter , Nancy, of Milton Junction, and members of his family.

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Information below courtesy of: American Battle Monuments Commission

Vincent (Jimmy) Libassi grew up in Oconto County, Wisconsin, attending grade school in Breed Graded School's one room rural schoolhouse. He was one of six children in a farming family. . In 1940 he was a US Army private stationed at the Fort Clayton base in Balboa, Panama Canal Zone. Sergeant Libassi was a veteran of World War II, among the first to go into action. In Korea, he was a member of the 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy in South Korea on August 3, 1950.

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The 24th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the United States Army. It was inactivated in October 1996, it was based at Fort Stewart, Georgia and later reactivated at Fort Riley, Kansas. Formed during World War II, the division saw action throughout the Pacific theater, first fighting in New Guinea before landing on the Philippine islands of Leyte and Luzon, driving Japanese forces from them. Following the end of the war, the division participated in occupation duties in Japan.

On 1 August, the 24th Division's 19th Infantry Regiment engaged North Korean forces, losing 90 killed. . Staff Sergeant Vincent Libassi was among those killed on August 3rd. The division suffered over 3,600 casualties in the 17 days it fought alone against the 3rd and 4th North Korean divisions. The 24th Infantry Division managed to delay the advancing North Koreans for two days, long enough for significant numbers of UN forces to arrive in Pusan and begin establishing defenses further south.

The 24th was the first division to respond at the outbreak of the Korean War. For the first 18 months of the war, the division was heavily engaged on the front lines with North Korean and Chinese forces, suffering over 10,000 casualties. It was withdrawn from the front lines to the reserve force for the remainder of the war, but returned to Korea for patrol duty at the end of major combat operations.

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Vincent Libassi was the son of:
Giacomo (Jacob/Jake) Libassi: born June 23, 1884 in Calataafimi, Trapani, Sicilia, Italy; died 1967 in Breed, Oconto County, Wisconsin.
Angeline (Angela) Coraci: born October 10, 1893 in Calataafimi, Trapani, Sicilia, Italy: died August 11, 1970 in Suring, Oconto County, Wisconsin.
They are buried in Union Cemetery, town of Breed, Oconto County, Wisconsin.
Vincent Libassi married Elizabeth Deangelo in October 1940.

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