Celebrating Service with CDR Dominic James DiMatteo, USN Ret.

Fittingly, centenarian Dominic James DiMatteo will celebrate his 100th birthday on the flight deck of the USS Midway on San Diego Bay on Sept. 2, 2021.

With over 600 carrier landings, the retired commander will be right at home on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. DiMatteo has a distinguished career in Naval Aviation with over 7,500 flight hours in 40 models of propeller and jet fighters. He flew in combat in three wars: World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.

“My dad, his life, is all about two things; his family and Naval Aviation,” said his son, Coronado resident Capt. Jim “Guido” DiMatteo, USN Ret.

Dominic “Dee’’ DiMatteo was born on Sept. 2, 1921, into what we now recognize unquestionably as the Greatest Generation. “We have always stood on the shoulders of the heroes who came before us, and the heroes we all cherish are our World War II veterans. That war was really the most catastrophic and dangerous, and the perseverance and hardships that generation endured make us treasure them even more. Anytime we have the opportunity to honor those men we take it,” his son Jim commented.

Dominic DiMatteo was raised in a large Italian family outside Cleveland, Ohio. He enlisted in the Navy in 1940 at age 19 as an aircraft metalsmith, and then served as a TBM tail-gunner. He went on to the V-5 Cadet program and attended flight school in Pensacola, Florida, where he earned his Wings of Gold, and set a path on a storied flying career that would eventually be recognized at the famed Palm Springs Air Museum with induction into the Aviation Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement.

Along the way Dominic married the love of his life, Florence “Florie,” and they made their own ‘large Italian family’ with their seven children; five daughters and two sons, who both became career Naval Aviators. They were married 66 years when Florie passed away in 2018. They have 12 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Like most military families, the DiMatteo’s lived in many different places, including Coronado and San Diego. Dominic was stationed at Naval Air Station North Island in the 1940s and then on and off again over the de-

Integrity, humility, personal responsibility, cades. self-sacrifice, and honor define his generation. DiMatteo’s first squadron And define Dominic DiMatteo was the VF-11 SunDowners flying F-6F Hellcats and F-8F Bearcats. Following World War II, he attended Stanford University. When the Korean War broke out he transitioned to the F-4U-5N Corsair and deployed as a Night

Fighter with the elite Fighter Squadron Composite 3 on multiple combat cruises onboard USS Boxer and USS Kearsarge.

With a career that spanned three wars and three decades, ‘Dee’ has plenty of stories to tell. On a night heckler mission in Korea he was hit by anti-aircraft fire, forcing him to emergency crash land near a ‘friendly’ village in enemy territory. He patched his damaged aircraft with duct tape and flew back to the aircraft carrier the following morning. A week later he came back in the middle of the night with his F-4U Corsair, on a low-level mountain passage heckler mission, firing rockets and annihilating a train full of ammunition, destroying the key ammunition supply line for the North Koreans, and earning him a Distinguished Flying Cross.

After the Korean War ended, for a few years he flew helicopters out of North Island and was named the Officer in Charge aboard USS Yorktown. He then returned to fly many of the early jet fighters. Unfortunately, he ruptured a disc in his back, restricting him from flying ejection seat aircraft. So, he transitioned to the E-1B as the Executive Officer of AEW Squadron 11 until another back injury forced him out of the cockpit for good.

“I saw the whole world. Thirty years. Three wars. I loved flying the Hellcats, Bearcats, and Corsairs. I am very, very proud I can wear the Navy wings,” he reflected.

DiMatteo still lives at his home, with caregivers, in Walnut Creek, California. He will fly (as a passenger) to San Diego for the first of his two centennial birthday celebrations. Over 1,000 people will be at the black-tie gala on the USS Midway on his actual birthday, where they will recognize his milestone and his accomplishments. The second will be for family and friends back at home in Walnut Creek. “We will have his family at both events, but most of his friends will be gathered up in Walnut Creek later in the week,” said Jim.

Included in the Midway gala program will be a special recognition of DiMatteo. The tribute will include a video from Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral Mike Gilday. “On behalf of the sailors of your United States Navy I want to join the chorus in wishing you a Happy 100th birthday,” says Admiral Gilday in his message. “Today, sir, we pay tribute to your service and your sacrifice. We are grateful for your selflessness and all you have done for our Navy and our nation. You’ve set the example for this generation.”

CDR DiMatteo, in true tradition of those from the Greatest Generation, would prefer that he not be the center of attention. He humbly stated, “I’m so lucky to be here. Don’t you think it would be better to celebrate my wingmen that weren’t so lucky and didn’t make it home? Shouldn’t they be the ones we honor?”

Integrity, humility, personal responsibility, self-sacrifice, and honor define his generation. And define Dominic DiMatteo. Lest we forget.

The Midway American Patriot Award Gala is held annually to honor individuals who embody dedication and sacrifice in service to America.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the ‘No Child Left Ashore’ scholarship fund.

Story - Maria Simon

“It always seems impossible until it is done.” – Nelson Mandela