Milan Franceschi served honorably in A Company of the 439th Signal Battalion from 1942 - 1945. He earned credit for participating in nine major campaigns and four assault landings with the unit while in the European Theater of Operations.
One day while in France, Franceschi was out working with his crew where they had a rare encounter
General George Patton.
He was up on a pole working on a line without his helmet. He heard someone yell up to him,
"What in the hell are you doing up there soldier?"
Franceschi yelled back without looking: "What in the @$&? do you think I'm doing?
He look down and saw it was Patton. Patton was laughing.
