Vito Trause | |
|---|---|
 Trause during World War II | |
| Born | July 19, 1925 Carlstadt, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | October 31, 2019 (aged 94) |
| Resting place | George Washington Memorial Park 40°56′24″N 74°5′13.2″W / 40.94000°N 74.087000°W |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse |
Theresa Iwanowski
(m. 1952; died 2005) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three bronze stars, World War II Victory Medal, American Campaign Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal |
Vito Trause (July 19, 1925 – October 31, 2019) was an Italian-American soldier in the United States Army, prisoner of war during World War II, semi-professional athlete, and community figure in New Jersey.
By November 30, 1943, Trause dropped out of high school during his junior year in order to join the United States Army. As a private first-class, Trause trained in Africa and fought in the Italian Campaign, where he served in the United States infantry as a scout. He was captured by the SS outside of Florence in September 1944 and subsequently transported to Stalag VII-A, a camp for prisoners of war run by Nazi Germany, where he was held until he was liberated by American troops on May 2, 1945.
After the war, Trause returned to the United States, living in his hometown of Carlstadt, New Jersey. He competed as a semi-professional football and baseball athlete in the years following the war and married a receptionist from East Rutherford, New Jersey in June 1952. After moving to Clifton, New Jersey with his wife in 1952, he moved to Washington Township in Bergen County in 1967, where he lived the remainder of his life. In his later years, he became a well-known New Jersey community figure and gained international attention after being awarded his high school diploma at the age of 92. Following his death in October 2019, Trause was buried at George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey.