Francis James Pedrotti
PVT Francis James “Bud” Pedrotti ” v:shapes=”Picture_x0020_2″>Francis James (Bud) Pedrotti was born in St Louis County, Missouri on 21-Jun 1919. His parents were Dennis Joseph Pedrotti (1879-1947) and Mary Jane Timlin (1886-1929). He graduated from St. Rita’s School in 1934. He had two sisters.
He was a cousin of the Barrett Boys who lost their lives during the war, all of them great grandsons of Irish famine immigrants Patrick and Mary Barrett. Six members of the Barrett family, siblings and cousins, were reported killed or missing. Barret Park in St Louis was dedicated to their memory in 1947.
Bud was a member of the US Marine Whaleboat racing crew, serving aboard the USS Arizona. Of just over a dozen men on their team, only two would survive the attack at Pearl Harbor.
On 6-Dec 1941, the Arizona returned to its base at Pearl Harbor. The next morning, at approximately 7:55 AM, Japan launched a surprise attack on the naval base. For nearly two hours, more than 350 Japanese aircraft—which included torpedo planes, bombers, and fighters—dropped bombs on U.S. vessels. At approximately 8:10 AM, the Arizona was struck by a 1,760-pound (800-kg) projectile. The impact caused munitions and fuels to ignite, creating a massive explosion that reportedly lifted the battleship out of the water. As it sank, the ship was struck by more bombs. In addition, some claimed that the Arizona was also hit by torpedoes, though no evidence was found to support that assertion. While 334 crew members survived, the death toll on the Arizona was 1,177 and remain entombed on the ship today.
After the attack, Francis James Pedrotti was Missing in Action, later presumed dead and his body was classified as Unrecoverable.
A plaque was placed at the entrance of St. Rita’s School honoring Francis Jame Pedrotti. He is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii. This is an American Battle Monuments Commission location. He was eligible for the following medals:
- Purple Heart
- Combat Action Ribbon
- World War II Victory Medal
- American Campaign Medal
- Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation
- Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
- Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal
He is memorialized at the Tablets of the Missing in Honolulu Hawaii.
For more of the story, click on the pdf below:
KIA 7-Dec 1941-Francis Pedrotti
