Honoring Private Charles A. Richitelli — A Melrose Hero!
Written and Photographed by Nancy Clover
This Veterans Day, we remember Private Charles Angelo Richitelli, a proud Melrose High School student who served with honor in the U.S. Army Air Forces, 48th Materiel Squadron, 27th Bomb Group.
During the early fighting in the Philippines, Private Richitelli was captured in the Bataan campaign. He is believed to have endured the infamous Bataan Death March, one of the most harrowing ordeals faced by American forces in the Pacific. He later died in captivity at Camp O’Donnell on October 13, 1942, at just 24 years old.
In early 1942, he was first reported missing in action. Months of anguish followed. Then, on February 11, 1943, the War Department notified his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Richitelli, that he was being held prisoner by the Japanese. That glimmer of hope faded on July 18, 1943, when the Melrose Free Press reported that the Red Cross had confirmed his death from disease while imprisoned, ending 18 difficult months of fear and uncertainty for his family.
Today, Private Richitelli rests at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Plot D, Row 13, Grave 216, among thousands of Pacific theater heroes who gave their lives for freedom.
Here in Melrose, his name appears on the memorial at the former Ripley School (now the Hurd School). Though misspelled “Riccitelli,” his legacy remains unmistakable.
Private Richitelli was the beloved son of John and Rose Richitelli of 27 Lebanon Street, and brother to Mary, Santo, and Alfred. His sacrifice reminds us of the extraordinary cost paid by ordinary young Americans in distant lands.
This Veterans Day, may we honor his courage, remember his story, and keep alive the memory of the Melrose men and women who served — and never returned.
