Somerville WWII Veteran Receives Medals Earned Nearly 80 Years Ago

READING, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — 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.

WBZ's Karyn Regal (@KarynRegal) reports.

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