++The Blind Soldier++

Nicholas A. Arrigo was blessed with better than 20/20 vision, but he had a special place in his heart for the blind. When he was a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne in Europe during World War II, he helped a soldier that had been blinded in combat. Nicholas was on the battlefield with gunfire all around. The GIs were told to Evacuate. Nicholas joined other soldiers on a truck leaving the area, including some that were injured. Nicholas saw a soldier stumbling around in the middle of the field with his arms outstretched. Nicholas realized immediately that the soldier had been injured and couldn’t see. Nicholas told the soldier driving the truck to stop so he could get this soldier, but the driver was afraid and said he couldn’t stop because it was too dangerous. Nicholas insisted. He made the driver stop and wait while Nicholas went out into the middle of the battlefield and got the wounded soldier. Nicholas put the soldier safely on the truck and then bandaged his eyes. Because he assisted medics during the war, Nicholas knew what to do. The truck safely left the area, and Nicholas never forgot this blind soldier and made donations to help the blind throughout his life.

++The Nazi Flag++

Nicholas A. Arrigo returned from WWII with 2 Nazi flags. One was medium size, about 27 inches wide, but the other was very large. Nicholas had pulled the large flag down from a building in Germany one cold night and used it to keep warm. The Nazi flag, a symbol of evil, was used as a makeshift blanket by a soldier who was fighting against all the flag represented.

++The Donuts++

When Nicholas A. Arrigo was in Europe, he saw many hungry children. One day he went into the Red Cross station where soldiers could get free coffee and donuts. He took some donuts outside and gave them to a group of small children who were clearly hungry. They ate the donuts with excitement. The next day Nicholas returned to the same place to get coffee and donuts. The man behind the counter told him he could have all the coffee and donuts he wanted, but he was not allowed to give anything to the children outside. When the guy behind the counter wasn’t looking, Nicholas hid donuts in his coat, placing them in the space between the liner and outer layer. Later he gave them to the children.

++Nose for German Clothing++

Throughout his life, Nicholas A. Arrigo was blessed with a keen sense of smell, and it was a gift that helped him during WWII. The first time it served him was when Nicholas and a group of soldiers were going through an area where they believed there were no Germans. Nicholas stopped and warned the group that Germans were nearby. His warning was brushed aside. Several men said it was not possible because there were no Germans in that area. Nicholas insisted. They asked him why he thought so. Nicholas told them he could smell them. He explained that when the German uniform got wet, it had a distinct odor, and Nicholas was now detecting that smell. The men waited and watched, and soon a group of Germans appeared. The warning saved their lives. After that incident, his fellow soldiers would often ask: Arrigo, do you smell any Germans?

++The Injury++

Nicholas A. Arrigo was wounded during WWII, made a full recovery, and went back to his outfit. He was awarded the Purple Heart. Nicholas was shot while on a volunteer mission with a small group of soldiers. He was hit with shrapnel in both his hand and arm. Nicholas managed to stop the bleeding and make it back to his unit. When the medic saw him, he asked Nicholas to help him move a wounded soldier who was on a stretcher. Nicholas, who often helped the medic, tried to lift the stretcher with one hand. The medic told him to use both hands. Nicholas explained he couldn’t because he had been shot and showed his bandaged hand. The medic told him to get treatment immediately. Nicholas said he was fine and could help, but the medic warned him that he could go into shock any minute. Nicholas recovered completely and was never bothered by his injury, but he carried with him small pieces of shrapnel in his hand and arm for the rest of his life.

Nicholas A Arrigo