Launched in 2020 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 through the #IAWW2Heroes initiative.  This entry is a special submission from Joanne LaTorre Anderson in honor of her late father.

Joseph (Giuseppe) LaTorre Jr. (1919-1990) was born in San Jose, Calif., to Italian immigrant parents from Gioia del Colle, a comune in Bari. He married his wife Ann on December 7, 1941, the day of the infamous Pearl Harbor attacks. In response to the attacks in Hawaii, California mandated blackouts, which altered some of the couple’s plans.