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Castellano, Gaetano P.

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Gaetano P. Castellano lived in Rye and served with U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. He was a Rye High School graduate, Class of 1963.

Date of Birth: June 6, 1943
Street Address: 391 Midland Avenue
Branch of Service: U.S. Navy - USS ENTERPRISE CVAN-65

Veteran Code: VIET-24

BIOGRAPHY

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Gaetano P Castellano

I enlisted in my senior year [1963] Rye High School Rye, NY in the US Naval Reserves for commitment 6 years [1963 – 1969]. I received my orders for active duty on July 10, 1964, my Dad drove me to the Rye train station, leaving for active duty – saying good bye to Mom, Dad and six sibling [we were large family] living at 391 Midland Avenue, that I would not be returning for two years it was a very hard good bye.

I arrived that afternoon at the Brooklyn Naval Yard for indoctrination after receiving shots, exams etc. I was asked to select three types of ships that I would like to serve aboard since I enlisted and not drafted I was able to do so. The next day a list was posted, I was assign aboard USS Enterprise CVN-65 our nation’s first nuclear aircraft carrier the most powerful ship ever built. The next week I received my orders to report to Naval Base in Norfolk, Va. The ship would be returning from its last deployment and would be going into dry dock for 3 months to make her battle ready for her next deployment.

Arriving on base at 1:00AM we were seen to a near base barracks to await be assign to temporary barracks. The barracks had about 100 double bunks at 0800 revelry sounded as I jump out my bunk in the bunk across from me was Jackie Dryer we had not seen each other since he graduated from Rye H.S. we were childhood friends from grammar school. Jackie and I spent the morning together and I have not seen him since then. After the ship dock and watching sailors manning the line the American flag flying on her mast was an awesome sight. After the crews departed ship we board at the quarter deck we saluted the flag, office of the deck and announced we were newly assigned to the USS ENTERPRISE, a petty office pointed us to area where other sailors were in line to be assign to various departments. The world gets smaller when you never expect it to do so, while standing on line I felt a tap on my shoulder it was Sonny Slater a friendly face. Sonny I believe worked in ships stores below decks, and I was attached to G Division ordinance on upper deck, we only seen each other while in port.

In September 1964 the ship reactors were refueled and all parts of the ship were either upgraded and/or repaired. The ship headed to Gitmo bay, Cuba for a month of sea trails. While in Cuba I was able to spend a weekend in Jamaica the first time visiting a foreign country, seeing the culture and people we visited a small village spending the afternoon. The village was mainly one family of Uncles, Aunts and their children and they were very kind and I loved their British accent.

In October 1964 the ship received orders that we were to be stationed in the South China Sea. I remember looking back as we left the harbor and thinking to myself it would be a long time until I return to the USA and what adventures were head of me thinking about that poster at the naval reserve center “JOIN THE NAVY AND SEE THE WORLD”! I also remembered while I was younger I would what “Victory at Sea” and now I am living my dream.

The ship was too big to travel through the Panama Canal we had to go around the Cape of Good Hope and into the Pacific Ocean. As we got closer to the China Sea we made our way through the Singapore Straights which was realization that I am going to be in harm’s way soon. Upon reaching Subic Bay, Philippines Islands the ship sea anchored to take on ammunition and supplies. The on load took a few days and then we headed to the war zone and our ship was ready but many of us had been in a war zone before but since we were trained we on the ship were ready. The battle plans to each carrier was be stationed on Yankee for weeks, Dixie for weeks and back to Subic for two weeks. One afternoon, I worked in the missile office, I received a call from the quarter deck that I had a visitor, I thought a visitor who could it be? When went down to see it was Norm Johnson a good friend and he was stationed on a supply ship if remember correctly and once again the Norman Rockwell painting in City named Rye comes full circle.

Most carrier group would at some point would get R&R in Tokyo Japan since we were a first of the kind nuclear aircraft carrier we were not able to dock in Japan. However about 3 months into our deployment the captain announced that we would be heading to Hong Kong, China it was under British rule at this time. I really like Hong Kong it was a beautiful city and we were welcome by the people there were Chinese junks waving flags people cheering what a sight. The culture and people was like out of movie even I was able to watch a James Bond 007 movie yes English subtitles but still an adventure of a life time. One memorable time was one evening we spent the day sightseeing and that evening we were going to have dinner at the Madeiran hotel we had heard the restaurant on the roof was the place to be, but by time we got to the hotel the roof deck was filled and we were directed to the main restaurant that was halfway up. After we had finished our meal, there not to many people in the restaurant, we asked for our bill and the waiter told us that the family sitting a few tables away had bought our meals and told us they would like to have an after dinner drink. We raised our glass and thank them and before we left the 3 of us went over to thank them. As we thank them they thanked us for our serves and we had found out he was the Ambassador to China from England, we were overwhelmed and we sat with them for a little while.

Our deployment to Vietnam ended and we stated to return back to the USA, we left the war that day with a lot of memories special our ships combat mission and remembering those pilots and crew who gave there all for our country most of us sailors that served in Vietnam to not talk about the days served only about the jobs we held during that time.

The ship return to our new home port Alameda, CA was the first time in about a year we seen the USA and for me it was a long smelling green fresh green earth. Captain came on the loud speaker and told us there was going to be a big celebration when we docked. On that day the ship when under the Golden Gate Bridge there were crowds on the bridge with traffic stop a mile in each direction people were waving and as we steered in port sailor’s manning the railing. People on the dock were mostly families waiting for their loved ones. In the two weeks left on active duty I had good time visiting San Francisco and Alameda, CA I was discharged from active duty on July 10, 1966 and to report to my Naval Reserve center in New Rochelle, NY. I was able to get a flight out of San Francisco that day but there was an airplane strike American airlines was only planes flying. NO one except for elderly gentlemen [red cap] told me to go down a corridor take first class stand by – regular flights were being booked leaving in two days.

I was lucky that I was able to get a flight out early afternoon I called my mom and told her that I would be arriving at JFK that evening and not to come I will take a cab. The flight landed at JFK that evening and there were no one saying welcome home or thank you for your service. As I was walking towards baggage claim I heard a familiar voice taking to a group of sailors “Do you know my grandson he is coming home today he is in the Navy”? It was Grandmother San Giovanni [happy tears]. Remember when I left for active duty I weighed 210#’s returning I was 145#’s I looked at grandmother and I said “Grandmother I am Gaten she replied Oh! He is a big boy I again replied no it is really me”. Grandmother gave me a big hug and from a few feet away was my family quickly running towards [yes brother Carlo was first] followed by the rest of my family there was a great family hug which meant the most to me for they missed me and thank me from returning home safely. Arriving home my Italian Grandmother must have cooked every pasta known to man that was the moment that I was welcome home from people who loved me for who I was to them.

The next morning I when to visit a girlfriend whom I had broken up with month before going on active duty, but never had I give a reason why? I did not what anyone to suffer coming home in a body bag or for me to worry about someone getting interested in her while I was overseas. I had not seen or written to Patti [whom I did not realize] until seeing her after 2 ½ years. Later that day that she was still there for me and as we started to talk she took me out of a dark time in my life I gave her a kiss on her cheek after that kiss Patti became my wife for 52 years.

In 1967, he married his wife Patricia, they were married for 52 years Patti passed away on March 1, 2019 and the couple attended evening classes at Iona College together while starting careers at PepsiCo. Castellano graduated cum laude from Iona College in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in facilities management, and in 2023 he established the Patricia D. Castellano ’94 and Gaetano P. Castellano ’87 Endowed Scholarship at Iona. In 2023 they established at the Rye Free Reading Room the Patricia D Castellano and Gaetano P Castellano Endowed 20 Books on the Shelves – Logo Decal Rye Free Reading Room Ladybug Legacy

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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Guy	December 16, 2025
Reviewer: Robbin Preusse from [email protected]

What a wonderful read! Thank you Guy, for your service, and Thank you for showing so many what care, compassion, and generosity really looks like.

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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Edit Birth Date & Email Address	July 2, 2025
Reviewer: Gaetano P Castellano from [email protected]

My birth date: June 6, 1943
Mail Email is [email protected]
Please reply to my email that my records have been updated

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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Branch of Service	July 16, 2020
Reviewer: Norman Johnson from [email protected]

Gaten Castellano was not in the Army. He was in the Navy. From Jan to June of 63 we use to ride down together to the Navy Reseves in New Rochelle. When he went active in June of 63 he was stationed on the USS Enterprise. About a year and a half later I met him on the Enterprise in Subic Bay Philippines

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