Written by Todd DePastino
WWII veteran Guy Prestia passed away at 102 years old just hours before he was scheduled to share some stories with us at our breakfast in Sewickley, PA.
In losing Guy, a treasured voice of the Veterans Breakfast Club has fallen silent. Even more, our nation has lost perhaps its most eloquent witness to the infantry experience in World War II Europe and North Africa.
Guy served 511 days in combat with E Company, 157th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division and seemed to remember each day in vivid detail.
We encourage you to watch our interview with Guy or view the program we did with him and historian Alex Kershaw last year. Below I’ve summarized Guy’s military experience. But there was nothing like spending time with this great man. We salute you, Guy!
Our 2015 Interview with Guy Prestia
Alex Kershaw and Veteran Guy Prestia Talk About the 45th Infantry Division in WWII
Guy Prestia was born and raised in Elwood City, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Lincoln High School, he began working as an apprentice machinist. During this time, he was indirectly involved in the war effort, manufacturing parts for military vehicles. This work included producing accelerator rods and hold-down clamps for Jeeps and other vehicles sent to Russia as part of the Lend-Lease program. Despite being on the home front, Prestia and his colleagues were unaware of the full extent of their contributions, reflecting the widespread sense of uncertainty and secrecy that pervaded wartime industries.
Prestia was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1942, at the age of 19, following the attack on Pearl Harbor. He underwent basic training at Camp Wheeler in Georgia, followed by specialized training in mountain maneuvers at Camp Pickett in Virginia. This period of training was crucial in preparing young men like Prestia for the harsh realities of combat. It was during this time that he joined the 45th Division, also known as the Thunderbird Division, a unit with a unique history. Initially, the division’s insignia was a swastika, a symbol borrowed from Native American culture, but it was quickly changed after the symbol became synonymous with the Nazi regime.
In June 1943, Prestia and his unit were deployed to North Africa before moving on to Sicily as part of the Allied invasion of Italy. The Sicilian Campaign was fraught with danger and marked by amphibious landings under fire. Prestia recounted the harrowing experience of jumping into deep water from landing crafts and the loss of a fellow soldier who could not swim. These early experiences in combat shaped his perspective on the war, as he quickly realized the brutal reality of the battlefield.
Prestia’s time in Italy was marked by significant engagements, including the Battle of Bloody Ridge during the campaign in Sicily. This battle was one of the fiercest and most costly in terms of lives lost. Prestia was wounded by shrapnel during this period, though he considered his injuries minor compared to the suffering of others. His determination to stay with his unit, even going AWOL from a hospital to return to the front lines, highlights the strong sense of duty and camaraderie among soldiers.
One of the most profound experiences in Prestia’s military career was the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp in Germany. As part of the 45th Division, Prestia was among the first Allied soldiers to enter the camp, where they were confronted with the horrifying evidence of the Holocaust. The soldiers found over 31,000 surviving prisoners and thousands of dead bodies, a scene that deeply affected Prestia and his comrades. The liberation of Dachau was a turning point for many soldiers, who, up until that moment, had not fully understood the atrocities committed by the Nazis. For Prestia, this experience underscored the importance of the war and the fight against tyranny.
After the war, Prestia returned home to a nation that, at the time, did not fully appreciate the sacrifices made by its soldiers. He noted that no one shook his hand or thanked him for his service, a stark contrast to the recognition veterans receive today. This lack of acknowledgment reflects the sheer scale of World War II, where millions of Americans served, and the country was focused on rebuilding and moving forward. Despite this, Prestia never considered himself a hero, believing that the true heroes were those who never made it back home.
