World War II veteran from Hempfield honored for his service as he turns 100

Joseph Folino, a World War II veteran who fought in the Battle of the Bulge, never expected the community to rally around him as he celebrated his 100th birthday.

Saturday afternoon, however, Folino found himself draped in a red, white and blue knit blanket as members of the Army, those in American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars chapters and others rode by his Hempfield home. Neighbors and family members waved American flags in honor of his birthday, which was Friday, as the smell of grilled food wafted down Lincoln Avenue.

“A lot of great things have happened in my life, but this, I’d say, is one of the best,” said Folino, as he sat next to his wife, Maryland, wearing his Army green service uniform.

Folino was 20 when he was drafted into the Army in 1942.

The then-railroad worker left his hometown and traveled to Kansas, Texas and Louisiana for basic training before deploying to Europe with the 691st Tank Destroyer Battalion.

During the war, he fought in the Battle of the Bulge, the final Nazi counteroffensive, which began Dec. 16, 1944.

The battle was an attempt to split Allied lines and capture the port at Antwerp. The surprise attack created a “bulge” in the Allied lines.

Folino’s tank destroyer unit was stationed on Elsenborn Ridge in Belgium, holding off a German attack that was part of the offensive.

Folino in 2019 recalled how his unit was moved to Malmedy, where American prisoners were slaughtered by the German SS troops in the early stages of the battle.

Decades after the war, he could still remember the cold that forced rations to freeze in the can. Several injured soldiers died of hypothermia.

According to The History Channel, Adolf Hitler’s mid-December attack, one of the bloodiest of the war, was strategic, with freezing rain, thick fog, deep snow drifts and record-breaking low temperatures largely impacting American troops. More than 15,000 injuries related to the cold were reported, including pneumonia and frostbite.

The weather finally cleared on Christmas Day 1944, allowing Allied troops to strike.

Allies claimed victory of the battle on Jan. 25, 1945. In all, there were about 80,000 Allied causalities, including about 20,000 Americans.

Following the battle, Folino remained in France and returned to the United States when the war ended five months later.

He was discharged Dec. 19, 1945, and returned home to Hempfield.

Folino is now one of the area’s few living veterans who experienced the Battle of the Bulge.

“I am the son of a veteran and the father of a veteran,” said Steve Derek, a member of American Legion Post 260 in Claridge. “I believe that the freedoms that we enjoy in this country wouldn’t be that way without the veterans. When you have someone who has survived this long after such an intense battle in World War II, he deserves the recognition.”

Derek was one of several American Legion riders, including those from Greensburg and Jeannette, who broke out their motorcycles to honor Folino on his birthday.

“This gentleman that we’re honoring today is 100 years old,” said Jim Henderson, president of the Jeannette Legion Riders. “He is a veteran of the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. That’s one of the bloodiest battles of World War II, and we felt that we needed to honor him. There’s not a lot of World War II veterans left now.”

According to the The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, there were almost 240,330 World War II veterans remaining as of September, 13,880 of whom lived in Pennsylvania.

Following the parade, the crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to Folino before breaking out into a round of cheering.

“We couldn’t be anymore proud of my father,” said Folino’s son, John. “He’s been my rock. He’s a hero. I’m broken up about it. He was always a father that, if you ever wanted something, he was always there for you. Never turned his back on his country, his family. A deeply religious person.

“He’s a hero in everybody’s eyes, especially mine.”

Over the years, Folino has been recognized for his efforts during the war. Most recently, he received the French Legion of Honor award, France’s highest decoration.

“Of all the words I could possibly say about my grandfather, he is truly a man among men,” said Folino’s granddaughter, Mary Hylton. “He’s one of the guys I’ve always looked up to, and I hope that my children can learn from his example. He has a beautiful heart. He’s dedicated to his family. He’s a hard worker, and he’s just a genuinely wonderful person.”