Twenty-two American soldiers received the Medal of Honor for service during the battle of Anzio in World War II. In late 1943, the Allies were attempting to liberate Italy from the Germans during World War II. That meant going up against German Field Marshal Albert Kesselring in Italy.

In order to continue on from Salerno to Italy, an amphibious operation was planned. On Jan. 22, 1944, the U.S. Fifth Army, Sixth Corps, and British First Infantry Division landed on the beachhead at Anzio, on Italy’s west coast and about 35 miles from Rome.