Before Liborio Joseph Dorato died in 1994, the proud and humble World War II Navy veteran had revealed little to his family about his time in the service or how he was injured during the campaign to occupy the Marshall Islands in the winter of 1944. The Staten Island, New York, native, born to parents of Italian descent, had enlisted at 20. He served from November 1942 to 1946, rising to the rank of seaman first class. 

It was during the Marshall Islands campaign, from Jan. 31 to Feb. 12, 1944, that "Dorato was pressed into service to defend his position and unit," according to his listing with the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor. "He valiantly defended his unit and received multiple shrapnel wounds on Feb. 6, 1944 in both legs during this engagement."