Meet The Marine Veteran Getting A Purple Heart In Dearborn

DEARBORN, MI — U.S. Marine and World War II Veteran Anthony Joseph (Tony) Procassini, 98, will soon be presented with the long-overdue Purple Heart he earned as a result of the combat-related injuries he received nearly 75 years ago in Japan.

The presentation will take place Friday, July 12 at a ceremony taking place at the Fort
Dearborn American Legion Post, 3001 South Telegraph Road in Dearborn. The ceremony will
begin at 5:00 p.m. Procassini’s award will be presented by Lieutenant Colonel John C.
Gianopoulos, Inspector-Instructor, 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment. Selfridge Air National
Guard Base, Michigan. U.S. Army (Vietnam) Veteran and 2017 Medal of Honor Recipient
James McCloughan will make a presentation remotely via Skype.

Procassini, a member of the First Marine Division, was injured in May, 1945 when his unit landed on Okinawa and became involved in a bitter fight with Japanese defenses.

Procassini, was born in Lambertville New Jersey in April, 1921. He is a life-long resident of the Ann Arbor area, where he attended the University of Michigan and was a successful businessman until his retirement at the age of 93. He is a committed U of M sports fan, and was recognized at a 2018 athletic event as the “Veteran of the Game”. Procassini and his late Wife Marguerite raised nine daughters and one son.

Shortly after his marriage, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in November, 1943.

Following the conclusion of his basic training that December, he was trained as a Mortar
Crewman and subsequently assigned to the First Marine Division. His first unit assignment was
“Item” Company, Third Battalion, First Marine Regiment – serving under legendary Marine
Colonel “Chesty” Puller.

On September 15, 1944, his unit landed on Peleliu “white Beach” nearest the Japanese
defensive emplacements. During the course of this combat, the First Marine Regiment suffered a
casualty rate of 56% - more than another unit on Peleliu. They were the first unit to be relieved,
and returned to Pavuvu (Solomon Islands) to re-outfit and prepare for their next battle.

On April 1, 1945, with the war in Europe nearing an end, the First Marine Division landed on Okinawa. He was wounded in action on May 14, 1945. By the time his recovery was
complete, the battle for Okinawa had been won.

Following the Japanese surrender, he was promoted to the rank of Corporal and reassigned to a Marine unit in Tsingtao, China. There, on at least one occasion, the Marines fought a pitched battle against Chinese Communist forces. Following his duty as a “China Marine”, Procassini returned to the United States and was discharged at the Great Lakes Station on February 16, 1946.

A “long time in coming”, the process to receive his Purple Heart was finally put into
motion in April of 2019 when he and six fellow Marine WWII Veterans met with the 37th
Commandant of the Marine Corps General Robert Neller at the Marine Corps League’s
Dearborn Detachment (#152). He had not been awarded a Purple Heart for his wound in spite
of requests to the National Records Center – and he mentioned this to General Neller.

Shortly afterward, he was notified that he would be awarded his Purple Heart on July 12 in Dearborn.

More than 20 close relatives are expected to attend, along with several other combat veterans.