A WWII Veteran, His Experiences, and His Wishes for His Final Flight
A WWII Veteran, His Experiences, and His Wishes for His Final Flight
Michael Caputo would never have had to go to war. His presidential deferment for repairing airplanes that were damaged by young learning pilots would have kept him stateside. However, being called to the office of General Hap Arnold, commanding general of the Army Air Forces, changed everything. Mike petitioned to be released from his deferment and to enter the USAAF as a cadet. He went on to receive his navigator's wings and flew bombing missions over German and France. He returned to the states at the end of the war with undiagnosed PTSD, but he became instrumental in the development of emergency services in Crawford County, Pennsylvania. Having witnessed the death of many, he never wanted to live without quality of life. As he approached his life's end, he made his wishes known and legally binding. His final flight was as he wanted it to be. Join his daughter and book-writing author, Yvonne Caputo, as she tells her dad's life and their relationship in two moving and encouraging books about life and aging with dignity.
Book signing to follow this program!
Location: Jefferson Educational Society - 3207 State Street, Erie, PA 16508
Date/Time: Thursday, May 4 at 4:00 p.m.
Admission: $10/person or $15 with a guest
Parking: lot behind building, State Street, 33rd Street, 32nd Street, French Street
Yvonne Caputo, M.S., was a teacher in the Erie City School District for 18 years. She went on to be a therapist and a trainer for the Penn Foundation Employee Assistance Program, and as vice president of Human Resources for Frederick Living, a retirement community. While she has retired from her full-time position, she continues to offer management training for St. Luke’s Penn Foundation and private counseling on a part-time basis. She holds bachelor's and master’s degrees in elementary education, and a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Her first book, “Flying with Dad,” was a finalist in the 2020 Best Book Awards American Book Fest competition.
