Vet’s Memories, Army Museum Reflect the Past

CAPE MAY — Museums are vaults that hold the tangible treasures of days gone by. An attic, of sorts, where we visit to learn of what once was.
A new museum, to be located at Fort Belvoir, Va. is in the planning stages. That museum, the National Museum of the U.S. Army, will honor over 30 million men and women who served as American soldiers. The museum will tell the story of the U.S. Army from 1775 through today. It is slated to open June 14, 2015, the 240th birthday of the U.S. Army.
While the new Army Museum will be chocked full of displays that share memorabilia, manuscripts, photographs and artwork, what it will not be displaying are memories that each of those 30 million-plus soldiers and their families, keep in their hearts from their service to the nation.
Retired Army Col. Robert H. Familetti, U.S. Army-(retired), has been a resident of Cape May since 1994. Originally from Philadelphia, Familetti can trace his and his wife’s families’ service back to the soldiers of the Continental Army, Indian fighters, the Spanish American War, as well as World War II.
And the Familietti’s son, Robert Jr., continued that service by recently retiring from his career at a lieutenant colonel in the Army.
“I grew up in South Philadelphia,” Familetti said as he sat in the gathering room of his cozy Cape May home. “And I went to the University of Pennsylvania.” With the Vietnam War blazing half a world away, Familetti knew it was just a matter of time until he¹d be called to serve. “I enlisted in ROTC.” That’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.
In 1960, while an undergraduate at Penn, Familetti went on a blind date with a local girl, Kathleen Gilligan. The rest, as they say, is history. After obtaining his undergraduate degree, Familetti applied to Penn’s graduate school and was accepted.
“I was lucky,” said Familetti. “I was commissioned in 1963 and because I was in grad school I was assigned to a student detachment.”
With a masters’ degree in hand, Familetti received his first assignment. And, on Oct. 30, 1965, he married his beloved Kathleen.
“Right after the wedding we went to Hawaii,” said Kathleen. The couple began to set up housekeeping in an apartment. In a china closet in their home amid the decorations of a long and accomplished military career, stands a small vase given to them by their first landlord.
A few days before Christmas, Familetti received orders that he was shipping out to Vietnam.
“He left the day after Christmas,” said Kathleen. “Our things weren’t even there yet and he was sent to Vietnam.”
Kathleen decided to return to Philadelphia. “I was young,” she recalled. “My mother had died six months before. It was very difficult, but I didn’t know any way else.”
Just shy of a year later, having been wounded twice, and receiving a Bronze Star with V, Familetti returned home – to a wife and to Kate, his 3-month old daughter.
Upon his return to the United States Familetti, then a captain, was sent to Fort Knox. While living there they completed their family with the birth of their son, Rob Jr.
After that, Familetti decided to opt out of active duty and joined the Army Reserve. During his tenure in civilian life, he worked for several colleges. While in the Reserve he obtained the rank of lieutenant colonel.
In 1981, Familetti was offered an opportunity to reinstate his active status again when offered a position in Horsham, Pa in the Active Guard Reserve Program as a the executive officer of the 157 Separate Infantry Brigade.
“I took off a suit on Friday and put on a uniform on Monday,” he said.
“And we didn’t have to move!” added Kathleen.
After a three-year tour in that position, Familetti was promoted to colonel. One of his assignments included a stay in Massachusetts as Inspector General of the 94th Army Reserve Command for all of New England. With a child in high school, Kathleen and their son had stayed behind in their house in Wynnewood, Pa.
“The day our son went to college is the day I moved to Massachusetts to be with Bob,” said Kathleen.
From there, they went to the Army War College in Carlisle, Pa, and then got moved to Heidelberg, Germany where he was the Senior Army Reserve Advisor to the Commander in Chief. “My role was to advise of the U.S. Army Reserve capability for support of war plans in Europe,” said Familetti.
Familetti’s last assignment was back to Carlisle as a faculty member of the Army War College, where he served for five years before retiring on Sept. 1, 1995.
Since retirement he has stayed involved in military organizations like the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), where he serves as president.
Looking back on his long career in the Army, Familetti said, “I am proud of my service. It’s been an excellent life.”