Marion,
The history you posted is about the fighting in the mountain during October 1944. On 26 October, the offense was called off and the 88th Division pulled back to a holding position for the winter.
But your MapQuest link located the town of Forcoli much further south near the Arno river between Florence(Firenze) and Pisa. I think you found the right town but something does not add up with the text of the Newspaper clipping. The date is wrong or the town is wrong.
Why? The advance from Rome up to Leghorn/Pisa and Arno River occurred during the summer months of June, July and early August. For a 3-part description of this action, see this webpage on my site.
The news article says Sgt. Garrett operated a Tank so he was obviously in the 1st Armored Division---but he might have been in a Tank Destroyer Battalion. Either way, the Apennine Mtns were too rugged for tanks and by October it was much too muddy for tanks to maneuver. If you check my maps in Pursuit North of Rome, you will see that the landscape was flatter and more conducive to Tanks. And the rainy season had not begun in July/August.
I think the date is incorrect in the newspaper article. If we could find the records of his Purple Heart, I bet it would read 17 July 1944.
See my map: Advance on Leghorn
Just trying to help solve this mystery. I'm surprised you didn't come to me first.
Steve