Reed Honors Providence WWII Army Veteran in Special Medal Ceremony

CRANSTON – U.S. Senator Jack Reed today held a special medal ceremony in his Cranston office honoring World War II Army Veteran, Mr. Nicola Mainelli, 98, of Providence, with the military awards he earned but never received following his World War II service.

Born in Providence, Mr. Mainelli was 24 years old when he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in January 1942. He served with the 236th Army Air Force Base Unit as an airplane maintenance technician until July 1945, eventually attaining the rank of Sargent. Sgt. Mainelli served with American forces in the Rhineland and Normandy during World War II, among other campaigns.

“Sargent Mainelli is an extraordinary patriot and on behalf of all Rhode Islanders it is my honor to present him with some small tokens of our enduring respect and gratitude for his selfless and dedicated service to this country. Nicola exemplifies why they call his ‘the greatest generation,’ and it’s important that we continue to celebrate the sacrifices made by veterans on our behalf,” said Senator Reed, the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a former Army Ranger.

Reed presented Sgt. Mainelli with the Presidential Unit Citation, the Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 1 Bronze and 2 Silver Stars, and the Honorable Service Lapel Pin.

The attention to orders for the ceremony state that Sgt. Mainelli’s service “was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army Air Corps and reflects great credit upon himself and the United States of America.”