Cutinella Triangle

Cutinella Triangle. .083 acre. , This triangle honors Private First Class Armond Cutinella, who died in the Battle of the Bulge (December 16, 1944-January 25, 1945), a conclusive battle that took place toward the end of World War II. A local hero within his Gravesend community, Cutinella's family and friends advocated for the creation of this green space in his honor., Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Cutinella raised Armond and his 12 siblings nearby at 2215 West Seventh Street. Married and the father of twin daughters Armanda and Arlene, Armond volunteered for the Army and became a member of the Infantry Company in the 26th Division. Also known as the "Yankee Division," the 26th Division was inducted on January 16, 1942 and entered the European Theatre of the war on October 12, 1944 where they were for 199 days in combat., The Allied forces invaded Normandy, France, in June of 1944. After landing, they moved rapidly through northern France and into Belgium but were stalled along the German border in September. On December 16, taking advantage of weather that grounded Allied aircraft, the Germans launched a counteroffensive through the hilly and heavily wooded Ardennes, intending to divide the American and British forces and reclaim the vital seaport of Antwerp., Although German forces advanced 50 km (31 miles) into Belgium and Luxembourg, they only created what the British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill (1874-1965) called a "bulge" in the Allied lines. In late December of 1944, the Allies stopped and reversed the German advance near the Meuse River, where the borders of Luxembourg, Belgium, and France meet. By mid-January of 1945, Cutinella's company reached the capital city of Luxembourg and took part in its liberation., During the assault to reclaim Luxembourg from the Germans, Cutinella's company was reduced to only 12 men. This group was left to hold the position and wait for reinforcements. When help finally arrived, they found that all all 12 men, including Cutinella, had gallantly given their lives in attempts to hold the position. On January 16, 1945, five days after Cutinella's death, the Allies forced the Germans to withdraw. The massive losses Germany suffered at the Battle of the Bulge, which proved to be their last major offensive of the war, contributed to their final collapse in the spring of 1945., Cutinella was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star for gallantry as well as the Purple Heart. His body is buried in Long Island National Cemetery. After the war, Cutinella's friends and family formed the Armond Cutinella Memorial Association, which organized an appeal to the City in 1950 to name this triangle, at the intersection of 86th Street and West 6th Street, in honor of their beloved local war hero.