Dominick Calamino: Following in His Parents’ Footsteps, Twice

By Nancy Angel, Honor Flight Chicago Veteran Interview Volunteer

When Dominick Calamino, Jr. was attending Chicago Vocational High School in the mid-60’s, the U.S. Army was drafting young men to serve in the Vietnam War. Dominick’s father, Dominick, Sr., who had served in the Army during World War II,  told Dominick and his brother that they were not going to be drafted. He said they should enlist in the Navy or the Air Force instead. Both brothers followed their father’s advice. When Dominick’s older brother graduated from high school, he joined the Navy and was a Seabee stationed in Alaska. Dominick graduated a couple of years later, in June of 1967, and enlisted in the Navy in September of the same year. 

Dominick’s parents, Dominick Sr. and Opal, dropped him off at Union Station to take the train to Great Lakes Naval Base for Basic Training. On the first day, after a long day of having his physical, receiving his Navy issue clothing and waiting in lines for various other initiation procedures, he was hungry and looking forward to dinner when they were finally sent to the mess hall. To his dismay, his first dinner in the Navy was liver and onions, a meal his parents loved and forced Dominick and his siblings to eat from time to time, although they all hated it. He was happy to discover that was not the only meal they served in the Navy! He recalls that after about five weeks in Boot Camp, those who lived in Illinois were allowed to go home for a weekend visit.  Dominick brought a few buddies from out of state home with him to enjoy some time off the base and some home-cooked meals. Besides welcoming them into their home, Dominick’s parents liked taking their son and his Navy friends out and “showing them off.” During his time in Basic Training, Dominick received his draft notice from the Army, but, of course, was already in the Navy.

Following Basic Training, Dominick was stationed on the USS Rankin (AKA-103) in Norfolk, Virginia. The USS Rankin was an amphibious cargo ship, designed to transport military cargo and landing craft, and use the latter to land weapons, supplies, soldiers and Marines on enemy shores during amphibious operations. Dominick was sent to school and trained as an engine mechanic. He was assigned as an E-3 Engine Mechanic, working as an assault boat engineer, repairing and replacing 671 diesel engines on assault boats. He enjoyed the work; he liked working with his hands and he learned to make decisions. He sailed on the USS Rankin for his entire time in the Navy, with tours in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and Guantanamo Bay. They performed drills and practice maneuvers off the island of Crete. “Join the Navy and see the world,” Dominick did just that, or half the world, anyhow. He spent the majority of his time in the Mediterranean, and was able to visit Barcelona, Spain, Athens, Greece and Naples, Italy when he would get a few days leave. He was especially excited to visit Italy to see where his grandparents grew up. During Dominick’s tour of duty, the USS Rankin also spent time at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina training with the Marines.

Of his time in the Navy, Dominick says it was a very, very good experience. He said you grow up very fast, and learn how to be independent and live on your own. Of course, you also learn that you have to follow orders and do what your superiors tell you, even if what they’re telling you to do doesn’t seem to make much sense (like a watch guarding a dumpster with his weapon in the freezing cold). He appreciated the mechanical training he received, the ability to work with his hands and the opportunity to travel the world. He was grateful for his dad’s sage advice about joining the Navy. He had a lot of friends who were drafted by the Army and went to Vietnam, some of whom didn’t make it home. He looks forward to finding their names on the wall and honoring their memory and service when he visits the Vietnam Memorial. 

Dominick was discharged from the Navy in January of 1970 and married Kathy on July 4th of the same year. They moved to Riverdale, IL where Dominick worked for the Riverdale Public Works Department for over 20 years. He and Kathy had two sons. The family moved to Las Vegas when the boys were in high school, and Dominick worked for the Las Vegas Valley Water District as a meter shop supervisor. Both sons are now married, one living in Las Vegas and one back in the Chicago area, each with two children. Dominick and Kathy currently split their time between Arizona and Tinley Park, IL. 

Dominick has been a member of the American Legion Doss-Malone Post #1200 in Monee, IL for the past 21 years. He joined that post, despite living across the country in Las Vegas, at his parents’ insistence, since they were both members. Dominick, Sr. and his wife Opal were both WWII Army veterans, and Opal was the only female veteran in their American Legion Post. In fact, Dominick, Jr. owes his very existence to his parents’ Army service, since they met in the Army during the war. 

Dominick’s father, Dominick, Sr. was drafted into the Army during WWII and had to shut down his family shoe repair business to go serve his country. He had dropped out of high school a few years earlier to take over the business when his father died of cancer. While serving in the Army and stationed in France, Dominick Sr. developed some health problems and was sent back to the U.S. for treatment at O’Reilly General Hospital, an Army hospital in Springfield, Missouri. One member of his health care team there was a lovely young lady named Opal. She had been living and working in Detroit when the war broke out. She enlisted and was assigned as a nurse’s aide at O’Reilly. Dominick and Opal began courting and fell in love. Once Dominick recovered, he was sent back to complete his tour in the Army. When he was discharged, he and Opal wanted to get married in Chicago. Apparently, there was a rule that service men and women in the Army are required to wear their uniforms to get married. Opal, however, wanted to get married in a wedding dress. Her CO initially denied her request, but she eventually persuaded him to allow her to wear her wedding dress, and she and Dominick were married. Following their wedding, Opal had to return to Missouri to complete the final months in the Army before she was discharged. She returned to Chicago, where Opal and Dominick lived and raised their family. 

Many years later, their American Legion Post submitted an application on behalf of Dominick, Sr. and Opal to participate in an Honor Flight Chicago flight. They were selected to fly on the May, 2010 flight. Dominick was initially hesitant to go because of his limited mobility, but he was ultimately convinced to go. And was he ever happy he did! They loved every minute of it. As the first husband and wife veteran couple to have flown with Honor Flight Chicago, Dominick and Opal were selected to lay the wreath at the WWII Memorial during their trip. Dominick, Jr. recalls that he was living in Las Vegas at the time and flew in to surprise his parents along with the rest of the family at the welcome home at the airport. Just being a part of the welcome home was a wonderful and moving experience. Dominick Sr. and Opal had an amazing experience flying with Honor Flight and, according to Dominick, Jr., they talked about it for years! He said they had put together books with pictures and other memorabilia from the flight that they loved to take out and show to anyone who came to visit. 

Having had the opportunity to participate in the welcome home and hearing his parents’ enthusiasm about their honor flight over the years, Dominick Jr. looked forward to having a chance to fly with Honor Flight Chicago himself. A couple of years ago, he learned through the veterans’ golf league he plays in, that Honor Flight had begun to include Vietnam veterans along with the remaining veterans from WWII and the Korean War. So, Dominick submitted his application and was recently informed that he was selected for the 100th HFC flight. He followed in his parents’ footsteps in serving his country, and now will be able to follow in their footsteps in being honored with an Honor Flight. Dominick’s service legacy includes not only his parents, but also his older brother, who served in the Navy and an uncle (the husband of his mother’s sister) who was a Colonel in the Air Force. He is excited about his upcoming Honor Flight and very much looking forward to the day. Having heard so much about his parents’ trip, he already knows about some of the surprises that are included, but is confident this won’t diminish his experience. I suspect that his Honor Flight experience will be even richer, experiencing it for himself as well as seeing it through his parents eyes. He not only will be honored himself, but will be honoring his parents’ service as well as that of his friends who gave the last full measure.

Thank you, Dominick Jr., for your service and sacrifice during the Vietnam War. Enjoy your well-deserved day of honor in Washington, D.C.!