EASTHAMPTON — Robert Cayo was in his early 20s when he sustained body-altering injuries during the Korean War on Pork Chop Hill that he still carries with him today.

Through his actions with the U.S. Army in Company A, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, in the spring of 1953, Cayo received the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal with two bronze service stars, the National Defense Service Medal, and the United Nations Service Medal. He was also awarded the Bronze Star Medal, which is the fourth-highest ranking a service member can receive in the U.S. military. Those who receive such an accolade are those who have acted gallantly during combat at great personal risk.

Despite his heroic actions, the Easthampton native had reportedly never received a proclamation from any form of government on any level.

However, that changed this week.

Gathered beneath the nation’s flag at the city’s Municipal Building, nearly seven decades after his time serving in the Korean War, Cayo was recognized with a ceremony attended by local and state officials. At the ceremony, Cayo was presented with citations from state Sen. John Velis, D-Westfield, and state Rep. Dan Carey, D-Easthampton, a proclamation from Mayor Nicole LaChapelle, and a challenge coin and encased flag from American Legion Post 224.

An emotional Cayo, now 90 years old and living in Hadley, offered thanks for the recognition.

“I accept this honor on behalf of all those who served during the Korean Conflict, especially those who were wounded and those who never came home,” he said.

The event came about at the prompting of fellow Easthampton Army veteran Norman Cotnoir.

One day during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cayo visited Cotnoir at his home. Both Cayo’s family and Cotnoir’s family grew up in Loudville, and Cayo decided to pop in one day when he recognized Cotnoir’s name.

Though the interaction was out of the blue, Cotnoir said he welcomed the visit and shortly into their conversation, Cayo recalled his time in the service.

Cayo enlisted in the Army at 19 years old in October 1952.

Details of his wartime experience and frontline combat are chronicled in S.L.A. Marshall’s “Pork Chop Hill: The American Fighting Man in Action,” as well as Gazette news clippings from that time. According to Marshall’s book, Cayo was part of a handful of private soldiers who fought Communist Chinese troops and won.

“I learned through our conversations that he was pinned down in a trench, out of ammunition and outnumbered by the enemy,” Cotnoir said. “He exited the trench and attacked the enemy with a hand grenade given to him by his fellow soldiers, forced the enemy to retreat and succeeded in defeating him.”

Previous Gazette articles from that time describe Cayo’s parents as being notified that he had suffered wounds to his thigh and lower leg.

Another article, title, “Green Loudville Recruit Wipes Out Charging Commies,” describes how Cayo withstood an estimated “three platoons of vicious Chinese” during an enemy probe on a small 17th Infantry outpost in Korea.

The article goes on to describe how Cayo was the one to detect the probing force, and subsequently reported it to his squad leader. The next thing he heard was a “burp gun,” a lightweight submachine gun nicknamed for the sound it made, nearby.

“The bullets were striking the slope and ricocheting over my head,” Cayo said at the time. “I saw a head about seven yards down the slope and threw a grenade at it.”

The article states that another rifleman reported that Cayo’s grenade dropped into a group of charging Reds, stopping them all.

“I was plenty scared,” said Cayo, who had only been in the unit for one week.

After hearing Cayo’s firsthand account, Cotnoir, who says he never experienced combat during his time in the military, was shocked to learn that Cayo had never been formally presented with his medals or formally recognized. He began researching Cayo’s story through military records and articles, and confirmed the story.

“It saddened me that he was forgotten,” said Cotnoir. “His awards were dropped on his bed in a hospital.”

So Cotnoir began contacting local and state representatives, and sent out registered letters requesting that Cayo receive recognition that he felt was long overdue. He even contacted President Joseph Biden.

Ultimately, he was able to touch base with LaChapelle, Velis and Carey, all of whom officially recognized Cayo this week.

“We cannot thank you enough for that day, and for the service you’ve given to our community and our country,” said Carey. “It’s so, so important that we have events like this that we recognize, folks who have made that sacrifice who went at 19 years old to fight so that the rest of us could have freedom here in our country.”

In acknowledging Cayo’s sacrifice, the mayor said she would be taking the description of Cayo’s service as noted in Marshall’s book, and entering it into the city’s public records along with a proclamation on his behalf.

“Mr. Cayo, thank you so much for what you so unselfishly gave for our nation,” she said.

Velis, who is a major in the U.S. Army Reserve and has served tours in Afghanistan, commended Cayo’s service, noting that less than one half of 1% of eligible residents in the U.S. are serving in the armed forces.

“We’ve got a challenge, getting folks to raise their hand and say that they’re willing to step forward and they’re willing to serve. So it’s really, really important for those of us who have served and those of us who have not, when a gentleman like this comes along with the service record that he has to recognize it, to honor it. To say thank you,” he said.

It’s still unclear why Cayo was never formally recognized. Several of Cayo’s children who attended the ceremony said that while their father was proud of his military service, he didn’t openly engage in conversations about what happened. Still, Cayo’s sons, daughters, and grandchildren who attended all expressed gratitude for the acknowledgment.

“We’re very appreciative of our dad that served and for the hero that he was,” said Cayo’s son, Ken Cayo. “He’s my hero. … He’s a good man. He’s very helpful and dedicated to his family.”

Emily Thurlow can be reached at ethurlow@gazettenet.com.]]>