By: Mat Cloak
The Parsons Advocate
Recently at Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, Vince DiBacco received his six medals he earned for his service as an Army medic in World War II. Col. Michael Bayer presented the medals to DiBacco in a framed case.
The ceremony was held in honor of Veteran’s Day, and DiBacco is among those who deserve great honor and respect for his service to the country. At the presentation, Col. Bayer stated, “These medals were prepared for everyone to see the totality of his service.”
DiBacco was drafted into the Army as a medic in 1942. Before entering the service, he was studying for the priesthood in Morgantown.
DiBacco’s accounts of the war are both harrowing and inspiring. D-Day at Omaha Beach was DiBacco’s first combat experience. With every medal, came a story. He regards the Bronze Star as the most prestigious.
“It has to be earned. You have to do something out of the ordinary,” DiBacco said. DiBacco’s truly extraordinary act came when he treated a wounded soldier while receiving sniper fire from multiple directions. “I had the Red Cross on my sleeve, and they were using that as a target, so I took that off,” Dibacco said. His other medals include the World War II Victory Medal, the American Campaign Medal, and the European Campaign Medal.
His time spent in the service and the resulting accolades came with a price for DiBacco. Because post-traumatic stress disorder was not identified until 1980, many World War II soldiers lived decades with an unidentified disease. DiBacco was one of those individuals.
DiBacco described himself as suicidal and without future aspirations when he returned home in Thomas from the war. At one point, his traumatic stress became so acute he needed medical attention.
A trip to the movie theater in Deep Creek helped DiBacco turn his life around. After he saw the blockbuster movie “Saving Private Ryan, the deep emotional scars began to heal. “It was an emotional catharsis,” DiBacco said. After watching the movie, DiBacco cried in his car, releasing years of painful memories. “It was a turning point for me.”
DiBacco is a revered member of the community, and his service in the war is not lost on anyone, as was evident on Thursday.
