WWII veteran Peter Fantasia Receives Medals Earned Nearly 80 Years Ago.
A Somerville veteran was finally awarded the medals he earned in combat nearly 80 years ago.
103-year-old Peter Fantasia received his medals at a ceremony in Reading Town Hall on Monday. The medals were pinned to his chest by congressman and fellow veteran Seth Moulton.
Fantasia served as a U.S. Army medic during World War II. In November 1944, he was captured by Nazi officers in France while tending to wounded soldiers.
Fantasia was held captive as a prisoner of war until he was liberated by Russian forces in April 1945.
Among the medals that Fantasia received were the Bronze Star and the Silver Star, the nation’s third-highest personal decoration for valor in combat.
