Captain Hyman D. Shapiro M.D.

"...Running into the fire..."

Cpt Shapiro werd in 1943 toegevoegd aan het 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Toen nog in de rang van 1Lt. en deed mee aan alle combat jumps van 504th.
Na zijn uitgebreide medische studie besloot Shapiro zijn kennis en kunde als chirurg, hoewel hij een Canadees paspoort had, in dienst van het leger van de Verenigde staten te stellen.
Hij diende bij het 504th parachute infantry regiment, 82nd Airborne Division als "Battalion Surgeon".
Ondanks dat Shapiro tijdens de landing op de stranden van Anzio, Operation Shingle", zwaargewond raakte overleefde hij de oorlog.

Shapiro werd onderscheiden met de "Silver Star", de "Bronze Star" en twee keer de "Purple Heart"


Thanks to Larry Shapiro for providing his fathers picture and story.
Anzio Campaign, 1944. HMS LCI-273 sunk at Anzio, March 28, 1944, soon after she was hit by a German air attack. Note ship's hull broken in half, damage to pier alongside, life raft floating amid debris and pillbox at the end of the pier. Photographed by Leibowitz
 
Shapiro wrote to his sister:

"I meant to tell you this so often. I am a parachutist I have never told Dad nor do I intend to do so for the same reason I never told you. I don't want you to worry about me.
I'm telling you now because I felt I was cheating by holding out on you. I want you to know that parachuting is now second nature to me.
I can tell you in confidence, jumping down to the frontline where medical care is desperately needed is my calling.
In doing air missions I feel that I am doing my share more than I could on the regular line to make a difference."


(picture: A sunken LCI at Anzio)
"From the looks of things it appears as though we may go hot again we when we next yell Geranimo I feel we be doing something special real concrete to bring an end to the hostilities other times we've asked ourselves what did we gain, we didn't always have the correct answer."

"instead of parachuting it was easier to get to anzio by boat we loaded supplies and about 100 soldiers in each of hundreds of boats they were called LSI or landing ship infantry the boats were specially designed to get the soldiers as close to land as possible before the front of the boat dropped down and all of the soldiers ran out as the doctor I stood at the back of the boat getting off last so I could run out and tend to the soldiers already wounded"


"I saw the shore and the butterflies kicked in actually they were more like planes in my stomach I always got nervous like that before battle but once it started I was too busy to think about how scared I was
there was chaos as I approached the beach I heard the screams of wounded men the buzzing of planes and all the guns it was impossible to hear yourself think I saw the plane swoop down out of the clouds dropping bombs I saw the boats in front of me blow up glass was incredibly loud everyone was thrown off the boat unconscious bodies landed everywhere I knew I'd have my hands full when my boat pushed up onshore what came next was unlike anything I had ever experienced a bomb hit my boat throwing me into the water presumably unconscious the cold water woke me up I was underwater and felt my lungs were going to burst I knew I had to swim to the surface but I was disoriented and didn't know which way was up I swam for my life and soon I was feeling the strong hands of a soldier yanking me out of the water “

"Next thing I knew I was lying in a hospital, they told me I needed to stay for four weeks before going back to my unit and then it hit me, I was wounded and they would send a telegram home."


" I'm just fine but I wanna tell you I got a little wound while swimming ashore I ended up in the hospital but I had to leave and take my records with me if I didn't do that they would have sent a telegram to Dad, he couldn’t learn I was hurt I did myself out of four weeks of rest in the hospital and got back to the front lines within four days as a result but I had my records and the old gent didn't get the wire everything was OK and now they want to give me a Purple Heart plus some other metal"
 


Silver Star Citation

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to:
Captain (Medical Corps) Hyman D. Shapiro (ASN: 0-493764), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with the Medical Detachment, 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, on 22 January 1944, on RED BEACH at Nettuno, Italy.
In the process of landing on RED BEACH aboard an LCI, Captain Shapiro's boat was hit with an aerial bomb, blowing him into the sea and wounding him along with other personnel on board. Amidst the bombing and strafing, an attempt was made to evacuate him to a hospital ship, but Captain Shapiro insisted that he be towed ashore in order to be sure that the wounded personnel were properly cared for.
Upon being carried ashore, Captain Shapiro refused medical aid and immediately took charge of dressing and evacuating the wounded. By his personal effort and without regard to his own safety, Captain Shapiro was directly responsible for saving the lives of many men who otherwise would not have received prompt medical treatment. Captain Shapiro's action was in keeping with the finest traditions of the Medical Corps and reflects great credit upon himself and the United States Army.
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