Joe Caminiti, U.S. Marines, Battle of Iwo Jima

Joe Caminiti was born in West Virginia in 1924 when his family lived there while his Dad, an Italian immigrant and World War I veteran, worked in the coal mines. The family relocated to Bristol during the Great Depression and Joe grew up there. He left high school in his senior year to join the Marines in October 1942.

Joe served with the 3rd Marine Division, 3rd Amphibian Tractor Battalion, which operated Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVT) vehicles to transport Marines and equipment from ship to shore during the titanic Battle of Iwo Jima. Joe was fortunate to survive multiple transports to and from the island during the height of the battle.

DAV Hardware City Chapter 8 is proud to honor Joe with the Angelo Tomasso, Sr. and Angelo Tomasso, Jr. Veteran of Distinction Award for his selfless service to our nation.

Robert Bruce Fagan, U. S. Army (posthumous)

Bruce Fagan was born in New Haven in 1954 and passed unexpectedly in February at the age of 70. A U.S. Army and Vietnam War-era veteran who served in Germany from 1971-1974, Bruce was proud of his military service and lived his entire life deeply committed to supporting his fellow veterans.

Bruce was a close friend and supporter of House of Heroes Connecticut, one of the primary beneficiaries of the Golden Kielbasa Veterans Open, and was a co-founder of Skydive for Veterans, a nonprofit aimed at empowering those who served. He also chaired the Veterans Committee at the Westbrook Elks Lodge, ensuring that his military brothers and sisters were always supported.

DAV Hardware City Chapter 8 is proud to honor Bruce with the Angelo Tomasso, Sr. and Angelo Tomasso, Jr. Veteran of Distinction Award for his selfless service to our nation and to his fellow veterans.

Peter Senick, U.S. Marines, Battle of Iwo Jima

Peter Senick was born in 1926 and raised in Seymour. He left high school early to join the Marines, in 1944, about one and a half years after his older brother, Frank, had also enlisted in the Marines during the height of World War II.

Peter also served with the 3rd Marine Division and after the U.S. took hold of Guam, they set their sights on Iwo Jima. Peter served as a mortar crewman but was fortunate to never go ashore during the chaos of battle on the island. His brother Frank was not so fortunate; Frank was killed on Iwo Jima after suffering gunshot wounds to his chest and shoulder in March 1945. Peter learned of his brother's tragic fate after having returned to Guam following the Battle of Iwo Jima.

DAV Hardware City Chapter 8 is proud to honor Peter with the Angelo Tomasso, Sr. and Angelo Tomasso, Jr. Veteran of Distinction Award for his selfless service to our nation.