On Nov. 10, veterans from around the area arrived at South Side School in Bristol. At 9:30 the students of South Side School put on a program to honor veterans. It was held the day before Veterans Day, since there is no school then.
The students read items they wrote and sang all the branch of services’ songs. They even formed an arch of American flags for the veterans to walk through.
Joe Caminiti, Iwo Jima survivor, was one of the veterans who took part in the program. Joe, with the help of the former mayor on one of his last acts on his last day in office, made the presentation.
In March Joe traveled to Iwoto, Japan, at the request of the U.S. Marine Corps and the Iwo Jima Association of America to take part in a ceremony to offer an olive branch of peace to the Japanese people. Joe placed one of three wreaths on behalf of the United States on the “Reunion of Honor” Monument, which happened to be donated by the son of John Wayne. He did this with the prime minister of Japan.
While there, United Airlines presented Joe with four boxes to collect and display sand from the island. Joe was the only survivor there that day who was able to walk onto and along the beach. He collected sand and filled the glass vial in each with that sand. He returned home carrying them.
Joe presented one of the boxes, with the help of American Legion Post 2, to South Side along with a document of when he attended many years ago, with a perfect attendance record.
The students of South Side presented Post 2 with a check from a fundraiser they did for the veterans.
After the program Joe traveled to the state capital to take part in the 250th Marine Corps birthday. Joe was the oldest Marine there that day.