For Stamford’s Charlie Guinta, having participated within the fiercely fought World Battle II Battle of Iwo Jima within the South Pacific, wasn’t sufficient; 77 years later he needed to go to the location of a good larger battle 10,000 miles away, the Allies D-Day invasion of Normandy, France, in June of 1944
“I thought of going for years and eventually received to do it in April with two of my three sons and their wives,” Guinta, 98, mentioned not too long ago whereas basking within the solar at Cummings Seaside in Stamford. “Visiting Omaha and Utah seashores the place the invasion came about and the cemetery the place about 9,000 of these killed within the invasion was very emotional.”
Little did Guinta know that he could be honored on the cemetery following a cruise on the River Seine from Paris to Rouen, the capital of the Area of Normandy. Through the cruise, the cruise director requested if there have been any World Battle II veterans among the many 150 folks aboard since they deliberate to position a wreath on the D-Day monument within the cemetery. When Guinta was the one one to boost his hand, the director requested him to put the wreath. He agreed and did so when the group reached the cemetery.
“They handled my dad like he was a rock star,” his son, Steven, mentioned.
Pvt. Charlie Guinta and the 20,000 U.S. Marines and Military troops who landed on the volcanic island of Iwo Jima had been much more essential than rock stars. By the point the five-week battle was over — many of the American forces had been instructed the battle would final about three days — greater than 7,000 American marines (together with 5 from Stamford), 719 Navy personnel and 41 Military troops (together with one from Stamford) had been killed and about 20,000 others from the American invasion drive had been wounded in one of many bloodiest battles of World Battle II.
Guinta was a part of an Military sign corps battalion, which included 13 Stamford males, that put in phone and different communication strains, which it did on Iwo Jima shortly after the Marines landed.
“There have been nonetheless Japanese holed up in caves, and island nonetheless wasn’t safe, however I didn’t see a lot motion,” Guinta recalled.
Guinta and different members of his battalion needed to sleep in caves and holes and had been susceptible to nighttime assaults by the Japanese.
One other Stamfordite who was with the second wave of Marines to land on Iwo Jima, David McKeithen, had harsh reminiscences of Iwo Jima following the American invasion.
“After a when you started to stay like a barbarian. You don’t sleep that a lot and don’t shave,” McKeithan, who grew to become certainly one of Stamford’s first Black cops, was quoted as saying in Tony Pavia’s riveting e-book “An American City Goes To Battle” about Stamford WW II veterans’ experiences. “Generally there have been useless our bodies throughout you and it doesn’t even have an effect on you. At first you’re scared, however after a when you get numb.”
McKeithan, who joined the Military in 1940, a 12 months earlier than america entered the battle, was ultimately commissioned a second lieutenant however resigned the fee when he discovered that as a Black officer he couldn’t serve abroad the place the combating was occurring.
Guinta spent 31 days on Iwo Jima and watched the historic elevating by Marines of a U.S. flag on Mount Suribachi, the place tons of of Japanese forces had been holed up. The unit shipped out in April for the American-held island of Saipan, the place Guinta and the remainder of his unit had been to organize for an invasion of Japan. Whereas they had been en route, the Japanese surrendered, ending World Battle II.
The battle had ended, however they needed to stay on Saipan for 5 months as a result of American army personnel had been heading residence by ship.
“I did nothing particular besides serve my nation,” Guinta mentioned. “Many army did much more than I did and noticed extra motion and paid the final word worth.” They included three members of his Sign Corps battalion, together with the six males from Stamford.
Returning to Stamford in February 1946, Guinta was reunited together with his highschool sweetheart Jane Larson and so they had been married Feb. 15, 1946 at St. Maurice Church in Stamford. Keen to start a enterprise profession, Guinta studied accounting and different enterprise programs at Tempo College in Rye, N.Y. after which he started a 40-year relationship with Waldenbooks in Stamford, rising from accountant to vice chairman and chief monetary officer by the point he retired in 1990. Through the starting of that interval, Guinta discovered time to pursue a ardour for sports activities writing by masking baseball and soccer video games for the Advocate, as he had carried out whereas he was sports activities editor of the Stamford Excessive Faculty paper, the Siren.
“Regardless that I didn’t receives a commission, I cherished doing it even when the groups had been enjoying out of city,” he mentioned. In some methods, he was becoming a member of his father, Sandy, who was a linotype operator for the Advocate for 40 years, and his brother, additionally named Sandy, who spent 55 years as a compositor within the Advocate press room.
His father was deaf and mute, whereas his mom might discuss however not hear, so Charlie discovered signal language at age 6 and served as a translator between them and his youthful brothers of their Glenbrook residence.
Guinta appears to be like a lot youthful than his 98 years (he’ll be 99 in December). Amongst different organizations, he’s been a member of the Board of Administrators of Ferguson Library, Junior Achievement and the United Means. In recognition of his civic achievements, Guinta was named Citizen of the Yr in 1992 and Man of the Yr by the venerable State Avenue Debating Society. For 11 years he additionally coached his sons and their groups in Stamford’s Little League. Guinta performed tennis on the Italian Heart, the Newfield Membership and elsewhere till a hip damage reduce brief his tennis profession when he was in his early 90s. In search of a brand new cardio sport, he discovered one in swimming. Since taking swimming classes on the Tully Heart seven years in the past, Guinta will be seen within the Tully pool three or 4 occasions per week, doing eight laps of the breast stroke, a commendable distance for swimmers half his age.
Proving anew that there’s no slowing Charlie Guinta down (“I don’t need to get outdated” is his frequent chorus) he plans to fly to London alone in mid-April, and board the Cunard Line ship the Queen Mary April 30 in New York for a seven-night voyage to Southampton.
“I’m taking this cruise as a result of the Glenn Miller Orchestra shall be enjoying each night time, The band grew to become well-known throughout World Battle II and I’ve at all times cherished it,” he mentioned, reminiscing about seeing the unique band play at Glen Island On line casino in New Rochelle, N.Y., in 1941. “I used to be there with my girlfriend Jane to bop and hearken to the band and have cherished it ever since.”
He fell in love with Jane, too. Charlie Guinta, a veteran for the ages and a Stamford treasure.
Jack Cavanaugh is a Stamford native and resident. He’s a longtime journalist whose final newspaper cease was as a sportswriter and have author at The New York Instances. He beforehand had been a information reporter for ABC Information and CBS Information, Reuters, UPI, the New Haven Register and the Windfall Journal. He’s the writer of six books and taught at Fairfield College and the Columbia Graduate Faculty of Journalism.
