WWII Veteran Celebrates 96th Birthday At LI Aviation Museum

(Farmingdale, NY) — World War II veteran and U.S. Navy radioman first class Salvatore Citrano celebrated his 96th birthday with a personal tour of the American Airpower Museum in Farmingdale on Saturday, accompanied by family and local officials. 

Citrano enlisted in the Navy in 1943, shortly after he graduated high school. As a Navy radioman first class, he took part in the invasions of Okinawa in the Pacific and Normandy in Europe. Citrano was responsible for decoding radio messages about enemy positions and reporting the intelligence to his commanders. After his military career, Citrano worked for Grumman, Republic Aviation and Fairchild Republic. He was a foreman on the line for the F-105 and retired as a technical writer and field service representative for Fairchild Republic’s A-10 "Warthog" jet aircraft. New York State Senator Kevin Thomas (D-Garden City) and Jeff Clyman, founder and president of the American Airpower Museum, arranged a personal tour of the museum's A-10 as a 96th birthday gift for Citrano. 

Senator Kevin Thomas said, “I want to thank the American Airpower Museum, President Jeff Clyman, and Sal’s daughter Linda for helping to make this day special for Sal. In our country’s time of need, Sal answered the call to serve. He embodies the bravery, selflessness, and character that is the hallmark of what we have come to call America’s ‘Greatest Generation’. It is an honor not only to celebrate his tremendous milestone today, but also to thank him for all that he’s done for our nation and our community.”