For Margarita Manhardt, her Uncle George Cerrito’s memory was all she thought she had left. But after more than three decades, a lost Purple Heart medal and other mementos have reconnected her with his life story.
George Cerrito was a man full of life. He wore a suit every day, loved a good day at the racetrack, and served as a devoted usher at two New Jersey parishes. But what Manhardt remembers most was his smile.
“He couldn’t explain his feelings very well,” Manhardt said, “but you could see the joy in his face. He was a very happy, jovial guy all through his life.”
During World War II, Cerrito served as a turret gunner in General Patton’s 3rd Army.
In the Battle of Bastogne, a mortar shell hit his tank. He was shot in the head, sustaining a traumatic brain injury.
Another crew member pulled him to safety, but Cerrito returned home needing intensive therapy to walk and talk again.
“The first time I saw Uncle George after he was wounded, he couldn’t walk, he couldn’t talk. But he could laugh, and his face lit up when he saw the family,” Manhardt recalled.
One thing that kept him going was his Purple Heart, his most treasured possession.
After his death in 1993, his belongings, including the Purple Heart, were taken by a relative’s fiancée who was unknown to the family.
For decades, the medal was lost.
“We no longer had access to Grandma and Grandpa’s house, and I knew in my heart his things were gone,” Manhardt said.
Then, after 31 years, Manhardt received a life-changing call.
Cerrito’s Purple Heart and other medals had been found at a flea market in Dallas, Texas, and returned to Purple Hearts Reunited, an organization that returns lost military medals to veterans’ families.
“I almost fell out of my chair,” she said. “It was so emotional. I couldn’t believe it. Knowing what he did for us, what it cost him. This means everything.”
Manhardt doesn’t know how her uncle’s medals ended up 1,500 miles away. But now, they’re back in her hands, where she believes they belong.
“He’d be thrilled that they’re found, and that the family has them again. I can see his smile. He wouldn’t be able to talk, but the smile would be so great,” she said.
Recently, Manhardt discovered more of her uncle’s wartime items, including a blood-stained coat and shirt. With his Purple Heart home, George Cerrito’s legacy and sacrifice are safe in the family’s memory, alongside his unforgettable smile.