A Tribute

By Mary Parlato Caputo

On June 5, 1942, nine years after author Mary Caputos arrival from Italy, she met Nick Caputo, and their love story began. The young couple was joyful and filled with plans for future happiness until World War II interrupted them. Nick was attending Columbia University, but left to serve in the Army. After three years of service, he returned, they were married, and their blissful life began.

In A Tribute, Mary narrates their love story and pays tribute to Nick, who died in 1971 when two of his children were teenagers and one was just seven years old. Through diary entries and letters, this memoir shares details about Nicks journey during World War II, including deployment to the European and Pacific theaters of war and service in the Manila Harbor.

With photos included, A Tribute shares the details of one couples love and devotion to each other and the tragedy of a man who died too soon.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jan 29, 2015
• ISBN: 9781491752074

Mary Parlato Caputo

Mary Parlato Caputo was born in Italy, educated in New York, and lived on Long Island. She and her husband had three children and seven grandchildren. Now a widow, she is retired in Hobe Sound, Florida.

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Copyright © 2015 Mary Parlato Caputo.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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ISBN: 978-1-4917-5205-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-5206-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-5207-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014920186

iUniverse rev. date: 1/21/2015

CONTENTS

Acknowledgement

Dedication

Preface

My Biography

Introduction My Precious Memories

Nick’s Attributes

Nick’s Biography

Military Life

Deployment to the European Theater of War

Deployment to the Pacific Theater of War

Manila Harbor

Nick’s Assembly Campaign

Memorial Service

A Blissful Life, a Tragic Ending

Closing

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I offer this acknowledgement with heartfelt gratitude to Hui Pocapipat Ball, who proved to be compassionate, competent, and eager to be helpful. Hui was assigned to me for temporary health care.

One day as I was assembling my manuscript Hui observed what I was doing, became very interested and offered to help me since it would be a challenge to learn something new.

Considering her background as a graduate of a university in Thailand and a Master Degree from Oklahoma City University, I welcomed her offer. We proceeded assembling. After many hours, the manuscript which was lengthy and consumed our full attention and many hours of time was completed. Hui was invaluable, competent and a pleasure to have her as an assistant.

Hui, thank you so very much. Just to say thank you seems so inadequate. Surely you must realize that it is a most heartfelt appreciation.

DEDICATION

I would like to dedicate this book to my parents, Assuta and Joseph Parlato who provided such a wonderful life for my brother and me. I also dedicate this TRIBUTE to my late beloved husband for his extraordinary devotion and compulsion to succeed.

This TRIBUTE is a memorial for us and for him as his love for us and our love for him is forever in our hearts. My life is fulfilled having had such wonderful parents, a loving faithful husband and three precious children, Linda, Nicholas, Joseph; now adults, pursuing their own future goals.

I am so very thankful for such a blessed life.

PREFACE

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As I debated whether to write a memoir of my early days with Nick or simply a record of a special time in my life, I wondered if I was up to the task.

I had never written professionally or otherwise, so the undertaking seemed overwhelming. Despite my doubts, my thoughts turned to writing a tribute to my late husband, a loving, dedicated, and accomplished man adamant about achieving his goals. I wanted to write the book myself, in my own words. I once read that even professional writers sometimes have difficulty getting started. With this in mind, I found inspiration and decided to make an attempt. I wanted this book to be a memorial to a special person, my beloved husband. This work is dedicated to him, and I hope it will also be a legacy for