Roy K. Robasciotti (1943/08/06)

Roy K. Robasciotti was born in San Luis Obispo County, California, in 1910 to Benedetto and Santina Robasciotti. The Robasciotti household also included sisters Oliva and Jeanette and brother Arnold. When Roy was eight years old, his mother died and he lived briefly in the home of Carmella Minetti in Morro Bay, California. Roy later returned to his father's care and moved to the family home on Henry Street in Santa Cruz. It is unclear how long he remained there. After completing grammar school he attended a high school for one year.

Robasciotti enlisted in the regular army at Fort MacArthur at San Pedro, California on November 11, 1940. When enlisting, he noted that he was single, drove a commercial vehicle for a living and that Santa Cruz was his residence. After completing basic training, Private Robasciotti was assigned to the 15th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division.

The following is a recap of the unit's activities during the period leading up to Roy's death.
“[After the North African campaign] The regiment remained on duty in Morocco until March 1943, serving with other divisional units as the honor guard for President Roosevelt during the Casablanca Conference. In March 1943, the 15th moved to Tunisia, where it trained for further amphibious operations until July. The 15th was part of the 3ID's Task Force Joss in the invasion of Sicily on July 1943. The regiment fought with distinction at Palermo, Messina, and elsewhere in the Sicilian Campaign.”

On September 8, 1943, Ben Robasciotti received a telegram from Washington, D. C. informing him that his son, Private First Class Roy K. Robasciotti, had been killed on August 6, 1943. Roy is buried in the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Nettuno Italy. His awards include the Purple Heart.

(USCR, 1920 US Census, CA, San Luis Obispo; NARA2; ABMC; 15th Infantry Regiment, Lineage and Historical Development, http://www.geocities.com/eureka/plaza/7750/15thinf02.html, [16 September 2008]; SCSn Sept 9, 1943 1:4)

Creator: Nelson, Robert L.
Source: Remembering our own: the Santa Cruz County military roll of honor 1861-2010. Santa Cruz, CA: The Museum of Art & History, c2010.
Date: Undated
Type: OBIT
Coverage: 1940s
Rights: Reproduced by permission of Robert L. Nelson and The Museum of Art and History.
Identifier: RO-ROBASCIOTTI

Citation

Nelson, Robert L. “Roy K. Robasciotti (1943/08/06).” Remembering our own: the Santa Cruz County military roll of honor 1861-2010. Santa Cruz, CA: The Museum of Art & History, c2010. SCPL Local History. https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/items/show/4409. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.