Franklin's forgotten hero will be honored at 100th birthday celebration

A celebration will be held Sunday at the World War II Museum in New Orleans to honor Franklin native and forgotten war hero Felix Polito on his 100th birthday.
In BB’s Stage Door Canteen, doors will open at 11 a.m., followed by the presentation at noon.

Maj. General Lee Hopkins and Sarah Stelzer of the FSSF Association will be presenting.

The Army provided this account of Polito’s life and service:

On April 20, 1922, Felix Polito was born one of Joseph and Antonina’s 11 children in Franklin..
He grew up working the sugar cane fields of Alice C Plantation.

At age 19, in the spring of 1941, Felix accepted a position with Delta Shipbuilding in New Orleans. He
helped to build ships meant for helping U.S. allies in a war our country wasn’t yet fighting.

Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor in December of that same year, and Felix wasted no time in
enlisting in the Army.

He soon came forward to volunteer for a new type of fighting unit: The Firs Special Service Force. In time, the unit would become known as The Devil’s Brigade. Their first real action came when the allies set out to liberate Italy from the German forces. Felix and his FSSF band of brothers were tasked with capturing a 3,200-foot-high mountain being controlled by the Nazis.

American and allied forces had tried and failed a number of times and now it was up to the 600 men of “The Black Devils” to get the job done. They scaled the cliffs in the dead of
night, secured positions at the summit without the enemy ever noticing, and after only two hours of battle, took the peak.

Later in 1943, Felix and a small group of fellow brigade members took out multiple Nazi machine nests near Anzio.

The commander of the unit ordered papers be filed to recommend Felix for a Silver Star. The sergeant was killed in action, and as a result, the papers were never filed. The Silver Star, like Felix, were forgotten. However, after being severely wounded in battle weeks later, Felix did receive a Purple Heart.

During all of WWII, the Devil’s Brigade never failed to successfully complete a mission. Of the approximate 2,600 original members, only 248 survived. One was forgotten – Felix Polito. When the survivors returned home after battle, the government and private organizations, maintained lists and records of FSSF soldiers. Felix’s name never made it on any of the lists.

He was never invited to any of the numerous reunions. After Hurricane Katrina, Felix came home to find his Purple Heart – along with many other valuable mementos of his time in the war, gone.

In 2015, the Congress of the United States issued a proclamation awarding their highest honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, to The Devil’s Brigade for their acts of unparalleled heroism and sacrifice.

The 42 known surviving members were invited, all expenses paid, to stand before Congress and accept the honor on behalf of their fallen brothers in arms. But again, one had been forgotten and remained un-honored: Felix Polito.

First Special Service Force Foundation spokesperson John Hart offered a possible explanation for Felix not being included on the survivors list, saying, “There were two Politos on the roster of the brigade, both from the same small town in Louisiana. Both with the same initials, and both of their fathers had the same first name. …

“He would’ve been in Washington with the others to receive the honor he so justly deserves. For a man who’s contributed so much to be so forgotten is a tragedy.”