A REAL LIVE HERO!

B-29 Super Fortress

How many times in life do you run into a real live hero? We do all the time and sometimes we don’t even know it. There is this wonderful lady I know: Mary Jo Iovino who once was a fellow board member, who #2 Son and myself helped rid an old mattress and bed spring from her home because her husband was ill and in his late 80’s and couldn’t do it. Turns out he (Tony) was a navigator on a B-29 bomber that flew many missions over Japan during World War II. Noticing the medals and photos, I was thrilled to know that for the first time and so thanked him for his service.

Then On June 9^th, I went to a birthday party for my little grand niece Alexa Pombano, and there was standing alone a elderly gentleman who seemed very friendly and there seemed to be a sparkle in his eyes and a smile on his face. I was introduced to him and he wind up being an authentic American Hero too.

A retired NYC cop who served in World War II in one of the most heroic and daring missions to occur prior to the Normandy Beach landings on June 6^th 1944, D-Day stood 89 year old Frank Agoglia. Recently, on June 7^th so it happens: Frank Agoglia was featured along with his story about D-Day in Long Island’s Newsday.

It seems that Mr. Agoglia was part of the glider force that crash-landed in St. Mare Eglise in France on the early morning hours of D-Day, 1944, prior to the landings. In the dark and early morning he stepped on French soil, behind enemy lines, probably scared and sure it was his last day on Earth. His job was to secure the bridges and to find the enemy and engage him until the landings were complete. He was one of the 13,000 brave paratroopers from 3 regiments that did just that.

Frank Agoglia

Can you imagine not really knowing where you are, that in now are blindly roaming about the countryside in hostile territory and someone will eventually try to kill you? He told some fascinating tales about his  descending into the belly of the enemy as part of the 82^nd Airborne Division was part of the 4,000 men who arrive via glider. And here is a clincher, he was one of 6 brothers who went into combat, and they all survived!

While I spoke to this hero, his daughter came by and introduced herself, and I asked: “You must be very proud of your dad, he is a hero!” “Oh, I know, we ARE so very proud of him.”

And so a special day was made extra special by meeting this wonderful man.

Thank you Frank for what you did, the whole nation owes you a great deal and yet could never repay such sacrifice and courage.