Old Forge Borough

Anchor

Louis Joseph Carpellotti was born February 13, 1918 in Old Forge, Pennsylvania, and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in September, 1940.

Private First Class Carpellotti served with the First Marine Raider Battalion during the attack against enemy forces on Tulagi, Solomon Islands, during World War II. Private Carpellotti led a detachment of his squad to a point where they could deliver a flanking fire on a Japanese position, thereby enabling the remainder of his squad to assault and seize the hostile position.

Private First Class Carpellotti was killed in action at Tulagi, Solomon Islands on August 7, 1942.
For his valor, Private First Class Carpellotti was awarded the Silver Star posthumously and was also awarded the Purple Heart.

The USS Carpellotti (APD-136), which was named in his honor, was a high speed transport ship which was launched on March 10, 1945, and commissioned July, 1945. The ship was 306’ long with a beam of 36’ and housed 13 Officers and 184 enlisted men.

Although the ship was completed too late for active participation in World War II, Carpellotti remained on active duty with the Atlantic Fleet based at Norfolk, VA.

The USS Carpellotti operated amphibious assault exercises along the United States East Coast and in the Caribbean. She made midshipmen cruises to European ports, and in 1948 made a good-will tour to the Persian Gulf. She also took part in North Atlantic Treaty Organization exercises in 1952 in the first NATO amphibious operation, “Exercise Mainbrace”.

Carpellotti was decommissioned on April 21, 1958.

The Anchor of The USS Carpellotti was taken from the ship and preserved as a memorial which is now displayed at the Old Forge Borough Municipal Building.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email