April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
STILL IN SERVICE
97-year-old vet serves Mass weekly at VA Hospital
97-year-old vet serves Mass weekly at VA Hospital
As part of the 75th Infantry Division of the 575 Signal Corps, Mr. Aiezza was stationed in North Africa, France, Italy and Germany.
Now, at 97, Mr. Aiezza can still recount the stories as if they happened yesterday. But his own story starts on Grand Avenue in downtown Albany.
As the third child of 10 born to Italian immigrant parents, Mr. Aiezza said he had a good life. "I used to shine shoes at the Shoe Shack," he recalled; he was also an altar server at St. Anthony's parish in Albany.
While still a student at Philip Schuyler High School - which, like St. Anthony's, closed in the 1970s -- he met his future wife, Frances. Their marriage would last for 68 years until she passed away in March of 2015.
"She used to write all the time," Mr. Aiezza recalled, referring to the letters Frances sent to him while he was away at war. They were married in 1946, just a year after the war ended.
After WWII
Mr. Aiezza came home and became a printer. The couple had two sons, Andrew Jr. and Pat, both of whom still live in the area and take care of their father when he needs a hand. Mr. Aiezza now has six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, too.
"His memory is amazing," said Andrew Jr., adding: "It's hard for me to fathom what he's gone through."
These days, one of Mr. Aiezza's main goals is to get his brother, who was also named Pat, posthumously awarded a Medal of Honor. Pat was killed in the Battle of the Bulge and has already received the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously, but Mr. Aiezza wants more. He has even written letters to senators and other political officials, getting few responses.
"Family is his soul," Andrew Jr. explained. "That was handed down."
When asked about his family, Mr. Aiezza tells the story of when he first met his grandmother. Because his parents had left Italy before he was born, they'd never met until he was stationed in the country during the war.
"She wouldn't talk to me because I was in uniform," Mr. Aiezza recalled. "She was 86 years old [and] working in the fields. I [showed her] a picture of my father, and then the world opened up."
On the altar
During his Army days, Mr. Aiezza also served on the altar a few times in Europe, an experience he never forgot. In fact, he still repeats it today: The veteran serves Mass every week at the Albany Veterans' Administration Medical Center.
The 97-year-old has been doing so since the hospital was built in 1947.
"We used to come here when we had occasions to celebrate," he said, remembering visits to the VA hospital for the fourth of July and Memorial Day.
Mr. Aiezza has served Mass with a series of chaplains at the hospital -- most recently, Rev. Joseph Grasso.
"He's the most senior altar server in the area," said Father Grasso, whose own father was a veteran of the Korean War.
Veterans "understand, they appreciate what we do," the chaplain added. "They have a hard life."
Mr. Aiezza serves with military precision, said Father Grasso: "He's attentive. He rings the bells, too; that's his job."
Never-ending service
"It brings me to my maker, my God," said Mr. Aiezza of his weekly task. "It's such a privilege to be able to serve Mass."
The nonagenarian said he doesn't know what he'll do when the day comes that he isn't able to serve. That mentality is something he learned from his parents and instilled in his sons: "He made sure that, no matter what you did, you gave it 100 percent," said Andrew Jr. "Whatever it is, you make sure you do a good job and take pride in what you do.
"I always remember him working hard for everything so that we could have a good life. When he makes a commitment, he likes to stick to it."
Mr. Aiezza has always been dedicated to the Mass. He said that, even though he wasn't always able to attend liturgies while he was overseas, he made an effort to go any time he could. A war buddy "would go up to the commander to get a truck to bring us to town" for Mass, he said. He also prayed the Rosary often.
More 70 years later, Mr. Aiezza likes to talk about his life with fellow veterans at the VA hospital. He greats them at the door before Mass every week.
"There's nothing better than a veteran," he mused. "We're family, that's what we are."[[In-content Ad]]
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