On National Iwo Jima Remembrance Day, 101-year-old Iwo Jima survivor Joe Caminiti of Bristol boarded a plane bound for Washington D.C. to take part in the 81st Iwo Jima Reunion.
Caminiti was one of 15 World War II veterans attending this year’s events in the nation’s capital. For the first time, the reunion included not only survivors of the Battle of Iwo Jima but also veterans who fought in other Pacific battles. Six of the 15 veterans in attendance were Iwo Jima survivors.
Early Friday morning, the veterans, joined by family and friends, boarded buses for the 35-mile trip to the National Museum of the United States Marine Corps. State police escorted the convoy, stopping traffic at intersections and highway on-ramps as rain fell and cruisers’ lights flashed. Vehicles were directed to the side of the road to allow the veterans to pass. As the convoy approached the museum, the rain stopped…