War, articles build friendship

A chance meeting of World War II veterans took place last month as I was recovering from a back-injury operation at the Greenbriar Healthcare Rehabilitation facility in Boardman. On the first day I sat at a breakfast table with an elderly gentleman that I guessed to be of my vintage. Lo and behold, he was my age. His name is Walter Sikora of Boardman. We became instant friends.

Why? Because I was wearing my World War II baseball cap. Emblazoned on it: U.S.S. LST 582, WWII, U.S. Navy. On the side it says D-Day 1-9-45 Luzon, and on the other side it says D. Day 4-1-45, Okinawa. On the back of the cap, it says Michael Lacivita.

Young Marine

When he saw the word Okinawa, 4-1-45, he was shocked, because he was there as a young U.S. Marine, from the First Marine Division. We were one of several hundred LST’s in the initial attack. Walt may have been one of 500 first Marine division troops that disembarked from our ship.

Then for an aftershock, Walt noticed my name on the back of my cap. He remarked my God, I have been wanting to meet you for over 22 years, since I read all of your columns in The Vindicator. He said, “I am honored to meet you.” I presented him with my book “Rag Man, Rag Man,” which has many of my Vindicator articles in it.

As of June 2014 the book is housed in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. It is also in 16 other notable and national archives. I hope to come out with a companion book soon.

I have now written a regular monthly column for The Vindicator for 22 years. This is column 258 and counting.

Walter was born March 1924, and I was born June 1924. As two nonagenarians we would rather be over the hill than under it.

Michael J. Lacivita is a Youngstown retiree and member of the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame and Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.