Mayor Curtatone was among the attendees as Robert E. Invernizzi was honored with the dedication of a city square in his name on October 7.

The City of Somerville held a Veteran’s Square Dedication Ceremony for Mr. Robert E. Invernizzi on Sunday October 7 at the corner of Gussie Terrace and Porter St.  Mr. Invernizzi is a life-long resident of Somerville. He is a veteran of WWII and Korea.

Among the attendees at the ceremony were Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Veteran’s Services Director Jay Weaver, Representative Denise Provost, Alderman John M. Connolly, VFW Post 19 Honor Guard, the Somerville Police Department Honor Guard, family and friends.

Robert Edward Invernizzi was born on February 22, 1928 and enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17. He trained as a radarman and earned the rank of Radarman Second Class.  During WWII, Mr. Invernizzi served in the Pacific. He saw action in the Marianas, Saipan, Guam, and Okinawa and earned the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two battle stars while serving on the USS Uvalde. He also served on the weather ship, PCE-844 and then the amphibious flagship USS Mount McKinley. He also witnessed the atomic bomb test on Eniwetok.

He then re-enlisted during the Korean War and was seriously wounded, eventually losing an eye. By the end of his naval career, he had served on no fewer than seven ships including, PCe-844, USS Grosse Point, USS James Miller, USS Mount McKinley, USS General George M. Randall, USS Herbert Thomas, and the USS Uvalde.

Among the awards he earned are the Purple Heart, Combat Action ribbon, Navy Unit commendation, Navy “E” ribbon, two Good Conduct Medals, the China Service medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal, Korean Service Medal with two stars, Phillippine Liberation Medal, and the United Nations Service Medal.

Mr. Invernizzi  is today one of Somerville’s most decorated veterans.

After his service in the military, Mr. Invernizzi returned to Somerville, married Clarie Breen of Cambridge, and had seven children. He worked at MIT designing Guidance Systems for the Space Program and then at General Electric Company in Lynn as a senior draftsman on jet aircraft engines.

Information provided by the Somerville Department of Veteran’s Services.

 For more information on the Somerville Square Dedications click here