At DiligentiaGraphs our focus is to source out the best, authentic items and give you expedient and just service. Our goal is to deliver a five-star experience through prompt shipping and communication. Thank you for viewing our auction and feel free to ask any questions.

The items for sale are to honor the veterans who served our nation and to expose their stories which might otherwise be lesser known.

Hand signed 4x6 inch photo by World War II vet, Melchor Rillera. This is signed in white paint pen.

Staff Sergeant Melchor T. Rillera was a Filipino-American World War II veteran who served with distinction in multiple major campaigns across Europe and North Africa.  Born in Naguilian, La Union, Philippines, he immigrated to the United States in 1922 and later lied about his age—claiming to be born in 1915 instead of 1908—to enlist in the U.S. Army at age 34.

 He was selected for the elite First Special Service Force (FSSF), famously known as the "Devil's Brigade," a joint U.S.-Canadian commando unit trained for special operations.  Rillera served with the FSSF from 1942 to 1944, participating in key missions including the Aleutian Islands campaign, the invasion of Italy, and the liberation of Rome in June 1944.  He also fought in the Anzio landings, Southern France invasion (August 1944), and Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands.

After the FSSF was disbanded, Rillera was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, where he parachuted into Normandy on D-Day (June 6, 1944) and fought in the Battle of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.  He served in numerous campaigns, including the Ardennes, Rhineland, Central Europe, Naples, and the Rhone Valley.

Rillera received numerous decorations, including:

Purple Heart (awarded for nine wounds sustained in combat)

Bronze Star Medal

Combat Infantryman Badge

Parachutist Badge

Good Conduct Medal

Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal

European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal

Bronze Arrowhead (for assault landings)

Special Forces Tab (awarded in 2010)

French Legion of Honor (Chevalier) in 2014

Congressional Gold Medal in 2015, awarded to surviving members of the FSSF

Shipping is done within 24 hours of received payment. We ship our items in 6X9 envelopes, sent first class with tracking and well packed. We do our best to accommodate special shipping requests as needed.

We do accept returns within 14 days that has been communicated and approved. We have a 15% fee on items that are restocked and do pay for return shipping. Refunds are given once items are returned in original condition.

On all of our sold items we donate a percentage of profits to the Wounded Warrior project and to World War II museum in New Orleans, LA.