Time taking its toll on vets

“Thank you for your service” is a refrain I have heard many times over the 24 years of my retirement. I proudly wear my baseball cap emblazoned with the words U.S. Navy, WWII, U.S.S. LST582 on it when I take my daily one mile neighborhood walk, and when I attend many garage sales.

In June, I visited the Burton Antiques Market in Burton, Ohio. As I walked a distance to the ticket booth, a very nice young lady walked along with me and she noticed my baseball cap. Her name was Leesah Tarr, a pastel artist from Chagrin Falls. To my surprise, she insisted on paying for my ticket. This kind act has happened to me several other times. I have been thanked by people ages 10 to 90.

Sobering thought

As I read The Vindicator Tributes column each morning, I look for World War II veterans. Twice this year on a single day, I counted seven World War II vets. We are dropping off like flies. A sobering thought.

Many of my U.S.S. LST582 shipmates are gone. Our first reunion was held in 1984 in Evansville, Indiana where the ship was built in 1944. The 582 was commissioned in July 1944, and we traveled down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans. It was called a shakedown cruise to test the mettle of the ship.

We traveled only during the daytime for fear of being snagged on a sandbar. Two items aboard reminded me of good old Youngstown. Seamless steel tubing in our engine rooms (where I was stationed) from Youngstown Sheet & Tube, and rubber fueling hose topside from Republic Rubber. I later worked for both of these companies.

About 40 shipmates out of a crew of 110 attended our first union and only three in 2009. Death and infirmaries have taken their toll.

Michael J. Lacivita is a Youngstown retire and an inductee in the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame and Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.