To remember the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, NIAF is recognizing Italian Americans who sacrificed, served and defended peace, freedom and democracy during the war. This entry is a special submission from Vinnie Palozzi in honor of his father.

Born in Rochester, N.Y., Vincent A. Palozzi was the son of Italian immigrants who came from Villavallelonga, Abruzzo. In 1942, Palozzi graduated from Madison High School in Rochester and received an art scholarship from what is today known as the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).