Notablog

Among the letters in my mother’s collection from World War II, there were those from three men whose lives were intertwined in so many ways: My Uncle Sam (Salvatore Sclafani), his cousin Charles (Charlie) Sitra, and a man whose dear friendship Sam cultivated while he was in the Navy: Carmine J. Santaniello, of Jamaica, Queens. Their stories from the Pacific theater of the war are the subject of this concluding installment in my four-part Medium series, which is published today, on the eightieth anniversary of Japan’s formal surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, marking the unofficial end of World War II.

I am thankful beyond words that I discovered these letters and the thousands of words therein, which brought to life so much about that era that could never have been gleaned from any textbook. My deepest appreciation is reserved for my mother, who was thoughtful enough to have saved this correspondence. She could never have known that one day I would find these papers and tell these stories. That many of these letters were written by people whom I knew and loved sparked in me greater understanding and respect for all they endured during the war.

Series Installments

Part I: Letters Found (August 12, 2025)

Part II: Frank J. Rubino (August 19, 2025)

Part III: George & Charlie (August 26, 2025)

Part IV: The Navy Boys (September 2, 2025)