Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino, Councilman Tom Hand and Town Clerk Rich LaMarca recently joined with the United States Army Honor Guard and the family of Captain Dave Mattoli, a WWII Veteran and American hero, who passed away recently at the age of 99. Captain Mattoli’s last wishes of military honors at his funeral were unfortunately denied at the time of his death due to COVID restrictions, and the United States Army agreed to perform his military honors to coincide with the Town’s unveiling of his Hometown Hero Banner at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park in Oyster Bay.
“We are so honored to recognize the memory and incredibly legacy of United States Army Captain and World War II Veteran David Mattoli,” said Supervisor Saladino. “David was a true patriot and American hero. A proud resident of Hicksville, he frequently reminded those around him about how blessed we are to be living in the greatest nation on earth, and he always put the needs of others first. Captain Mattoli worked hard to bring everyone together and understood that what divides us is small in comparison to that which unites us as Americans.”
Captain Mattoli’s Hometown Hero Banner was placed alongside his lifelong friend Emil Miraglia, fellow WWII veteran, at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park. The Hometown Hero Banners, displayed proudly at park facilities throughout the Town, feature the name, rank, photograph and area of service of more than 200 military personnel and will remain on display through Veterans Day.
Captain Mattoli was born in 1921 to Italian immigrants in Massachusetts. An avid sports lover, especially baseball, he was drafted into the United States Army in 1942 at the age of 21. He served four years in the Signal Corp 25th Fighter Squadron and his service took him through the Asia-Pacific Theater, including China, Burma and India over the Himalayan Mountains. His outfit eventually joined the Signal Company Air Force and continued their duties for more than nine months until he was discharged in December 1945. After his service, David married Lucy and raised their two daughters in Hicksville. He was also exceptionally proud of his lifelong career at Grumman Aerospace, where he worked on the Apollo Lunar Module and the F-14 Tomcat fighter aircraft.
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