In June 1944, the parents of U.S. Army Sgt. Alfred A. Ranio of Olean received a dreaded notice from the U.S. War Department.
Ranio, who grew up on Wayne Street and graduated from Olean High School in 1940, had died May 22, 1944, while serving in the 82nd Airborne Division in England. While the 82nd was in the midst of intense training for what would be known around the world as D-Day, the June 6 invasion of Europe, Ranio passed away as the result of a heart attack while he was playing baseball with men in his unit. He was 22.
The loss of a son serving far away during wartime is devastating for any family, but parents Louis and Nicolina Ranio had already felt that crushing loss less than two years earlier.
Sgt. Alfred A. Ranio
U.S. Navy Seaman Albert Guy Ranio, 20, was killed Oct. 12, 1942, in the naval Battle of Cape Esperance during the Guadalcanal campaign against the Japanese in the Solomon Islands.
Albert served on the USS Boise, a light cruiser that was part of a task force that encountered a force of Japanese cruisers and destroyers to the west of Guadalcanal. In the battle, Boise was hit a number of times, twice by fire from a Japanese heavy cruiser. One hit penetrated under the waterline and exploded in a magazine for Boise’s 6-inch guns causing numerous casualties, including 107 killed.
Albert was the first known Olean-area man to be killed in the Southwest Pacific during the war.
Despite the heavy damage, the surviving crew of the Boise were able to stabilize the ship and keep it afloat, limping back to the U.S. for repairs in the Philadelphia Naval Yard and returning to service in the war.
Albert’s burial site is in the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial at Fort Bonifacio in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Alfred Ranio, who worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad after graduating from OHS, had joined the Army in September 1942. He was accepted for service in the 82nd Airborne and had served in the division’s campaigns in North Africa, Sicily and Italy.
At the time of his death, Alfred was a member of C Battery, 376th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion, which was stationed at the former London Road Infirmary site in Hinckley. He was laid to rest with honor at the Madingley American Cemetery in Cambridgeshire.
Today, Alfred is being remembered in the United Kingdom through an effort by a local historian who focuses on the 82nd. With a colleague, Adam Berry has launched the Mission82 project — an initiative to build three memorials in England to honor members of the ddivision who tragically lost their lives here during training accidents or from natural causes.
“These men, though not killed in combat, made the ultimate sacrifice while serving overseas,” Berry wrote to the Times Herald. “Sadly, they are rarely remembered and seldom mentioned in books or memorials.
“We believe the people of Olean might take pride in helping to commemorate one of their own, whose story deserves to be told and remembered,” Berry added.
In 2026, Berry and Darren Bond plan to commemorate the 82nd anniversary of the 82nd Airborne’s arrival in England, where they prepared and trained for two of the most significant military operations in modern warfare: Operation NEPTUNE in June 1944 and Operation MARKET GARDEN in September 1944, pivotal moments in the division’s history that are celebrated in history books and on anniversaries.
“However, there is a lesser-known reality: many comrades who tragically lost their lives in training or accidents while stationed in England are seldom remembered for their vital contributions,” the organizers state. “Their stories often go untold simply because their deaths did not occur in direct combat with the enemy.”
In 2013, Berry campaigned and raised funds for permanent memorials to the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, and 507th Parachute Infantry Regiments close to their former campsites in Leicestershire and Nottingham. He is a published historian on the 82nd, with a particular interest in the division’s time spent in the UK.
Mission82 aims to unveil three memorials in 2026 at sites in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, and Lincolnshire. These will honor the loss of 10 members of the division, including Ranio, who were killed in training or died during their time in England.
To follow their progress, visit their Facebook page by searching Mission82. There, readers can find regular updates and a link to a JustGiving page, where donations can be made directly:
www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/mission82
“We truly cannot express how grateful we are for every single donation — however large or small,” Berry and Bond state. “Your support brings us closer to properly honouring the memory of the ten men at the heart of this project.”
