RIO GRANDE – World War II Navy veteran Alfred G. Iapalucci Sr. spent his 97th birthday surrounded by his extended family March 23 for a special presentation from the Quilts Of Valor Foundation. Having served in the Pacific theater, and with the help of his daughter Debra Tinsley, he recalled the collision between his destroyer, the USS Uhlmann (DD-687), and another destroyer USS Benham (DD-796) in April 1944.
He recalled that as the destroyer began to sink, he carried three, 5-gallon cans of fuel from four decks below, to generators on the top deck that kept the water pumps running and his ship afloat.
He chuckled as he remembered that he almost ran over the “old man” (ship’s captain) as he sprinted topside with his load of gas. Ultimately the ship stayed afloat and later returned to action.
Iapalucci had been drafted into the service the previous August as a welder, a skill he learned in high school and put into practice at the New York Shipbuilding Corp. just before he was drafted.
On his special day, Iapalucci was presented with a “Quilt of Valor” that local representative Kathy Tweed presented to him as part of her organization’s mission that recognizes veterans of any war to honor their sacrifice.
Each quilt is assembled by volunteers who personalize each patch on the quilt with a special message of thanks to the veteran.
For information about Quilts of Valor Foundation, visit QOVF.org.
To contact Jim McCarty, email jmccarty@cmcherald.com.
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