A posthumous Silver Star and a small plot of soil in the Pajaro Valley remind us of Peter.

Peter Dugger was born in Texas on October 26, 1921, to Mr. and Mrs. James Dugger. The family later grew to include another son, Howard, daughters Elsie, Rena and Evelyn and a half-brother, Jess McClister. The Duggers arrived in Watsonville during the 1920s, and Peter was enrolled in a local grammar school. After completing elementary school, he attended Watsonville High School for two years.

In the late 1930s, Peter moved to Alameda County where he entered an apprentice program in the building trades. He remained in Alameda County and during the early 1940s, was married to Evelyn.

Peter was inducted into the US Army on November 11, 1942, and sent to a basic training facility. After his departure, his wife moved to Soquel where their son David Charles was born in February 1943. Following basic training, Peter was sent to Camps Adair and White in Oregon for additional instruction. At Camp White, Peter Dugger was assigned to the 361st Infantry Regiment of the 91st Infantry Division.

In May 1943, Private First Class Dugger left for North Africa where he remained until deployed to Italy. During a combat engagement with Germans troops at an unidentified location in Italy, Peter earned the Silver Star. A citation accompanying that award stated:

“In an attack up a hill, his platoon was checked by enemy machine gun fire. Maneuvering behind good cover, he reached a vantage point from which he opened fire and killed the entire gun crew. A squad of enemy rifleman then opened fire on him. He returned the fire, killing two and wounding three. The platoon then continued to advance. He crawled to the crest of the hill where he was immediately subjected to an intense mortar barrage...A squad of enemy rifleman advanced to counterattack. He permitted them to advance to within 50 yards of him and then opened fire, killing four and wounding three of the enemy. During the operation, he had wiped out a machinegun crew and six enemy rifleman, wounded six others and had allowed his squad to complete their mission with a minimum of casualties.”

Private First Class Peter Dugger died on June 29, 1944, in Italy. Following the war, his remains were reburied in the Pajaro Valley Memorial Park.

(NARA2; WRP August 30, 1944 1:2, February 26, 1945 1:1; Pajaro Valley Cemetery Survey May 12, 2008)