T-Sgt. Nicholas W. Mansolillo, Hq Co. 1st Bn 504th PIR was assigned to the heavy weapons platoon. His first assignment was the fifty-caliber machine gun then mortars later in the war. He is from Providence Rhode Island and graduated jump school class number 22. He loved serving in the parachute infantry and made many close friends who he kept in contact with after the war. One trooper who he had become close friends with was John Mullen who had lived for a time in Providence as he did. Sadly Nick witnessed John's last movements of life as he died on the south bank of the Waal River after having been hit by an artillery barrage. He ran to John only to find him in a pool of blood with a wound to his neck.
A tradition that Nick had was to save a piece of his chute from each combat jump. He had three pieces of chute after the war he carved three paratroopers and used the small pieces he saved as canopies for the toys that he gave to each one of his sons