World War II Woman

How One Family Served Our Country

John was one of ten children. He was sixteen in 1946, but many of his siblings were involved in the war. His three older brothers served in World War II.

His brother Andrew joined the Army in October of 1941, just prior to the outbreak of war. The family did not see him again for four years. He was stationed at a weather observation post in the Himalayas in India where he contracted malaria. His brother Joe was a flight engineer and in the battle of Midway. Again the family had no idea where he was for a long period of time. He came home safely but had been hit by shrapnel on several occasions. His brother Philip was married with two children, but he, too, served in the Pacific – on an aircraft carrier.

John’s three oldest sisters were married with husbands working in essential jobs – in shipbuilding, the mills, and the coal mines. His younger sisters had husbands in the service. They came home to live when their husbands went off to war, bringing their young babies with them. It was a full household. His dad was busy with his shoe repair business and his mother was busy with the family.

John recalls that he and his Italian friends were called “Dumb Dagos” and were told to get down in the gutter. In return, these name-callers received the term “Cake-eaters” because they ate soft white bread. John tells of exchanging his asparagus tips omelet sandwich made with Brick oven crusty bread for a “cake-eater’s” bologna sandwich. In spite of the name-calling, John was elected class president in his junior and senior years of high school.

When he complained to his father about the teasing and that “proper” girls weren’t allowed to date him, his father said, in his thick Italian accent, “Never mind, Johnny. Don’t let that bother you. I’m an American, your mother is an American, we are all Americans in our family.” And, indeed they were first-class patriots, all four sons serving their country. John the youngest, served in the Korean War.

John’s mother always hoped she would see one of her children attend college. And she did, but she died the summer John was accepted into dental school. He went on to post-graduate school and became an orthodontist.

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