A viral video shows a 104-year-old World War II veteran playing the national anthem at UBS Arena on Saturday, December 27, before the New York Islanders matchup against the New York Rangers. Staff Sergeant Dominick Critelli, who was born in 1921, rocked the rendition on his saxophone as Islanders and Rangers fans sang along.
After Critelli finished his performance, the crowd started chanting “USA!” for the military vet. He was seen saluting his fans.
Who is Dominick Critelli?
Critelli, who spent 151 days in combat during World War II, survived the Battle of the Bulge. He flew behind enemy lines to provide isolated American troops with supplies.
Critelli earned the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three Bronze Stars, the American Theater Medal, the WWII Victory Medal, and a Good Conduct Medal for his service.
{{/usCountry}}Critelli earned the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three Bronze Stars, the American Theater Medal, the WWII Victory Medal, and a Good Conduct Medal for his service.
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According to USA Warrior Stories, Critelli served as an aircraft mechanic with the 95th Infantry Division Headquarters Battery. “It was his job to keep his Artillery Unit’s Piper Cubs flying properly so the crew could conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. His unit identified and observed enemy troop formations, their supply lines, ammunition depots, enemy fortifications and documented their coordinates,” states the website.
During the Battle of the Bulge, Critelli’s unit, commanded by General Patton, “raced north one hundred miles with 200,000 men and less than 250 tanks to rescue the 80,000 encircled American troops in Bastogne,” it adds.
The website says, “In November 1944, Mr. Critelli was one of the brave men to fly behind enemy lines in small two passenger observation aircraft to drop much needed supplies to isolated American troops stuck on the enemy side of a the Uckange (yu-kon-jerz) bridgehead. Over a four-day period, brave Americans flew 120 resupply missions to the isolated troops, of which Mr. Critelli volunteered to drop supplies on fourteen of them. When icy wings and frozen carburetors on these tiny planes forced other pilots to stay grounded or to turn back."
Critelli continued with his "Manna from Heaven” mission, with blood plasma, blankets, socks, gloves, sleeping bags, cigarettes and two bottles of cognac being dropped on isolated American troops.
"As the crew flew these little aircraft just eight meters above the ground, Dominick sitting in the back of the plane on a 610 radio could see men waving and hear them shouting franticly while standing knee-deep in water in their foxholes. Several dozen bullet holes pierced the fabric wings of his aircraft as he dropped the much-needed supplies and medicine next to their foxholes. For his heroic and meritorious action, Mr. Critelli would earn the Air Medal,” adds the website.