WWII Veteran’s Special Observance Of Flag Day

The American Flag will mark its 248th birthday this June 14th.  WWII Veteran, Caster “Cas” Salemi of North Attleboro will mark this date for the 103rd time! Born in 1922, Cas fought for our freedoms, serving in the Army’s 251st Field Artillery Battalion in the South Pacific during WWII.   

Cas Salemi - 1943

This past January marked the 80th anniversary of the South Pacific battles during WWII.  Cas knows this all too well as he served in two of its major campaigns, New Guinea and the Philippines.  After training in Paris, Texas for a year, Cas set off on a 30-day ocean voyage to New Guinea.  They had no fresh water on this journey and had to wait for rain to shower.  As they neared the coast they witnessed lush green fields of grass. To their horror it wasn’t luxurious grasslands, but “kunai” grass. They had to use their bayonets to cut through the tough, fibrous blades of thick grass just to make camp, a long, tiring journey indeed for this 21-year-old.  

At camp he remembers being handed a can of British Bully Beef (C-Rations) that were from WWI made 28 years prior.  Cas joked, “When we opened the rations the Palm Trees wilted!” Having run the enemy off to the West Coast of New Guinea, his unit prepared for their next campaign in the Philippines.

Cas Salemi (Pic credit Carol Salemi)

Cas and the 251st were among the first soldiers to land in Luzon.  As they offloaded the vehicles from their boat, the truck containing all of Cas’ communications equipment slipped into a sink hole.  With his truck and supplies gone, Cas had to sit on the beach for 3 days waiting for their replacement.

Nicknamed “The Pearl of the Orient, Manila was a vibrant city rich in natural beauty, culture, and architecture with an abundance of valuable pearl beds. In 1941 General MacArthur had mandated that Manila be declared an “open city” in hopes of preventing its destruction. This capital city was all but leveled by the enemy in direct retaliation of General MacArthur’s orders. Cas and his unit provided critical defense in this most destructive campaign. Over 100,000 Filipino civilians were killed by the enemy.  Cas and his unit bravely fought the enemy for 165 days without rest. 

Radio frequencies in the thick and hilly jungle terrain of the Philippines would not work and had to be dangerously hardwired. T-4 (Technical Sergeant) Caster’s job was to lay this vital communications wire between the 251st firing batteries and its command base. 

Cas recalls one dangerous mission where his unit had been pinned down in a valley between two mountains under heavy artillery action.  The enemy would roll out cannons from a cave and fire upon the Americans. With no way out, the men completely disassembled an M90 Howitzer cannon and dragged it across to the other mountain where they could see the enemy’s cave. When the enemy once again rolled out their deadly cannons, the soldiers of the 251st were ready and successfully bought an end to the enemy’s carnage in this Valley.

In another routine mission, the men had positioned their allotted 4 cannons and created a perimeter around them. Soon after, they heard and felt the ground rumbling. The enemy had stampeded a whole herd of carabao (water buffalo) directly in their path! The men ran for cover under the guns, anywhere, just to get away from the animals to avoid death by trampling.

In 1945 Japan ended its aggressions after nuclear bombs were dropped on its cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9th respectively with Japan surrendering on August 14th.  While many countries celebrate this date as their VJ Day (Victory over Japan), America recognizes the war’s end with the date of its formal surrender ceremony that took place aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. 

T-4 Caster was devastatingly handicapped by “jungle rot” a condition caused by prolonged exposure to moisture with the inability to keep skin dry leading to a fungal infection. Cas got it bad in his hands and feet and could barely walk.  He was medically evacuated traveling back to the states on a ship not meant for ocean travel! They set sail in the aftermath of Typhoon Queenie with sustained winds of 90 mph and rough seas with 50 to 60-foot swells.  It wasn’t an easy 17-day trip home and to this day Cas will not travel across ocean waves.  

While recovering from his severe injuries in California, he and other GIs in his ward heard a strange noise reminiscent of an incoming artillery fire. At the sound of that loud noise, they all immediately jumped off their beds and dove underneath them believing they were once again under attack.  But the noise was something they had not heard before, a Jet Engine plane flying overhead!  The war in the Philippines had been a ground battle and jet planes were not used. 

When asked about soldiers’ fellowship, Cas explained, “Learning how to live with others from all different walks of life creates that special bond or camaraderie that soldiers share. We learned to depend on each other which proved to be a critical component in warfare.” He went on, “The difference between WWII and the Vietnam conflict was a matter of trust.  While there was brutality with the Japanese, the soldiers knew where and who they were fighting. The Vietnam Conflict was rifled with distrust and high anxiety.”  The enemy dug tunnels throughout the Vietnam landscape making it nearly impossible for a soldier to know who, when or where the enemy attacks were emanating from.”

After his meritorious actions contributing to the protection of our freedoms, Cas was most honorably discharged in 1946.  For his service he was awarded the Good Conduct, WWII Victory, Asiatic Pacific Campaign (with two stars for the New Guinea and Luzon campaigns) along with an Artillery Pin and the Philippine Liberation medals.  Not long after his discharge he married the love of his life, Virginia, in 1949.  While Cas was born on Flag Day, his wife was born on Veteran’s Day. They enjoyed 37 years together, raising two sons and a daughter. 

Born and raised in New York, Cas came to Massachusetts when the company he was working for, Sylvania Electric Products moved to Waltham in 1972.  He enthusiastically worked in Research and Development for 39 years through its mergers with GTE which ultimately became Verizon.

A 35-year resident of North Attleboro, he remains active in several military organizations and is a former member of the town’s Veterans Advisory Board.  He is a Past Commander of the North Attleboro DAV (Disabled American Veterans) Post 56. In April of 2004 he organized and escorted fellow veterans to the grand opening of the WWII Museum in Washington, DC. He has also traversed the Honor Flight, a non-profit organization for Veterans to visit memorials built in their honor. He attributes his longevity to three things. First by loving what you do. Secondly don’t smoke or drink hard liquor. But a glass of wine with your buddies is OK.  And lastly, ultimately it is in your genes!”

Nearly 131 WWII veterans die each day and of the 16 million men and women who served during WWII, a little over 100,000 are alive with most in their 90’s.  This “greatest generation” are a rapidly dwindling sector of Americans that we should honor most reverently.

Natalee Webb-Rubino joined the Air Force in 1976 becoming its 1st female Aircraft Mechanic (Crew Chief) and while at Kadena AFB in Okinawa, Japan. In 1999 she founded the 11K road race in Stoneham created to honor and recognize Veterans. At the time, it was the only 11K in America.  In 2009 she became the City of Melrose’s 1st female Veterans Service Officer.  Her essays on Veteran matters have been published in Franklin, North Attleboro, Melrose and Stoneham.