Colonel Francis A. Santangelo was commissioned an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School 11 January 1945, class number 388. His first duty assignment was as Platoon Leader, 159th Infantry Regiment (Sep), Camp Swift, Texas and Europe. | His subsequent duty assignments include: Post Adjutant, Camp Home Run, LeHavre, France; G-2 Training staff Officer, Third U.S. Army Headquarters, Heidelberg, Germany; Admin O, G-2 Section, USFA, Vienna, Austria; Platoon Leader, Company Commander, 9th Inf Div, Fort Dix, New Jersey, and Regimental Adjutant, 60th Inf Regiment; G-1 Staff O, Headquarters, 1st Cav Div, Korea; Regimental Adjutant, 8th Cavalry Regiment, Korea; Instructor, Defense Gp, Tactical Dept, TSB, Admin O, Tactical Dept, TSB, Fort Benning, GA; Executive Officer, 2d ARB, 51st Inf, 4th Armored Div, USAREUR; G-3 Operations Staff Officer, V Corps, USAREUR; Personnel Staff Officer, U.S. Army Element, Joint Support Groups, Washington; Commander, 2d Bn, 23d Inf, 2d Inf Div, Korea; Senior Army Advisor, Army National Guard, Nebraska; Director, Organization and Training Division, National Guard Bureau, Pentagon; Chairman, U.S. Army Physical Review Council, U.S. Army Physical Disability agency, Washington.
His awards and decorations include: EAMECM, World War II VM, ACM, ACRMP, ARCOM (2 Oak Leaf Cluster), The Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant, Thailand, AOM (GER & JAP), CIB, KSM, Bronze Star Medal, UNSM, NDSM (Oak Leaf Cluster), GCM, AFRM, LOM.