Nicolás Silfa Canario
Nicolás Silfa Canario was born on June 12, 1915, in Azua de Compostela, Dominican Republic. He escaped the Dominican Republic in 1936, fleeing dictator Trujillo's police in secret. When Silfa entered the United States undocumented, the immigration authorities gave him the option to join the U.S. Army in order to avoid deportation. After World War II began, Silfa was drafted as a private in the U.S. Army on December 11, 1942. He entered active duty on December 18, 1942, and was sent to Camp Croft in South Carolina to receive infantry training. He was later sent to Fort Read in Trinidad to train for jungle warfare before being deployed to the Western Pacific Theater, in New Guinea, in 1943 to fight against the Japanese forces. Silfa was honorably discharged as a Private First Class on January 19, 1946. For his time in the service, Silfa received an American Service Medal and a Good Conduct Medal.