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• Sunday, August 24, 2014

  NY Vet Recalls WWII at Convention

  CHARLOTTE, NC — The American Legion’s 96th National Convention opened Aug. 23, with more than 9,000 people expected to attend. Among them was New York Legionnaire Al Paviglianti of Canastota, NY, the Charlotte Observer reported.

  The World War II veteran shared memories of the Marine landing on Iwo Jima in 1945.

  

  Al Paviglianti

  “From the water the island looked peaceful and calm,” recalled Paviglianti, a retired engineer with IBM. “But it was like hell when we got there.”

  He told the newspaper about witnessing the “first” flag raising on the Japanese-held Pacific island and had a copy of the image in his room at a Charlotte hotel.

  A member of the American Legion for 69 years, Paviglianti looked forward to seeing old friends at the convention.

  “Some aren’t here anymore,” he said.