See a SLIDESHOW of East Haven's Memorial Day Ceremony as Mayor and Veterans' Council Remembers Our War Dead----Joseph Maturo, Sr.: This Year’s Honored Veteran
Posted on: May 17, 2017 - 12:45pm
Click here to see a slideshow of East Haven's Memorial Day Ceremony
On Memorial Day, a day on which those who died in active military service are remembered, the East Haven Veteran’s Council in conjunction with Mayor Joseph Maturo, Jr. will once again honor those unselfish individuals, who died to protect our freedom. The Town will continue its recent tradition of honoring these “true heroes” with ceremonies of a more reflective tone.
The East Haven Veterans' Council recognized East Haven resident, Joseph Maturo, Sr., as this year’s “honored vet”. The 92 year old Maturo, who happens to be the Mayor’s father, joined the Navy while a senior in high school. Following boot camp Maturo went into training as a “boatswain’s mate” and became a pilot of a LCM troop carrier. Maturo was sent to France for training and was picked to be 1 of approximately 10 pilots to guide the LCM’s for a very special mission. Once told of that mission these pilots were isolated from the rest of the troops for specialized training. Maturo and the others left France on June 6, 1944 for Normandy Beach, picking up UDT (underwater demolition teams) teams along the way, across the English Channel, for a landing at 6 am on D-Day, so these UDT teams could prepare for the full scale attack. Maturo then spent the next 30 days on the beach.