Westmoreland Co. Man Finally Receiving Purple Heart
GREENSBURG (KDKA) -- World War II was winding down in the Philippines, but danger lurked behind each tree, as American soldiers pushed their way through the island nation, driving Japanese forces toward the sea.
One of those wounded was Staff Sgt. Dan Romano of Jeannette.
"We were out on patrol," he recalls, "and that's when my final day came. A Japanese sniper didn't care for my uniform apparently, and thank God he wasn't too good of a shot. He got me in the leg, where I could still get around."
Filipino allies came to his rescue.
"They came in to take me out on a litter, and I told them, 'Take off. I can get out.' They bandaged me up, and I was able to walk myself out," he said.
The 92-year-old resident of Newhaven Court in Greensburg is finally receiving the recognition he deserves.
Congressman Tim Murphy researched his past, and long delayed awards from the Defense Department.
"It can take years to find the records that are there," Murphy says. "But people stuck with it. We pushed it hard, and we got his information. So we're just glad that Bronze Star is where it belongs, on that soldier's chest."
The Army veteran also received a Purple Heart, in recognition of the wounds he suffered some 70 years past.
"There was a lot of them [that] didn't make it back," he says. "Thank God I did."
Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter
