Colonel Aldo “Tex” O. Napolitano, USAF, Retired, a longtime resident of Canton and Hyde Park Massachusetts, passed away peacefully from natural causes during the evening of August 11th, 2010.
Born in Hyde Park in 1916, Aldo graduated from Hyde Park High School in 1933 and from Hemphill Diesel Engineering School in 1938. He enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1939, serving as a Crew Chief and Flight Engineer on B-18, B-17, and B-24 bombers with the 6th Air Force in Panama and Guatemala from 1939 to1943.
In 1941 he was the sole survivor of a B-18 search plane crash when it went down in the jungles of Panama, looking for survivors and wreckage from another airplane. His parents were notified that there were no survivors. After several grueling days in the jungle, indigenous people found and helped him. He remembered hearing drums of communication beating all night long to relay his situation. A few days later, the Army Air Corp came to him on a mule and brought him out to safety and to medical care. In 2003, more than 50 years later, the downed Navy plane that they were looking for was finally located in the jungles of Panama. Colonel Napolitano later served in classified missions in Portugal, and as a B-29 Flight Engineer, reached the rank of Master Sergeant before being commissioned a Second Lieutenant in September of 1944.
In 1946 he joined the Massachusetts Air National Guard, serving as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer and Air Inspector. Colonel Napolitano graduated from Air Force Command and Staff College, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery Alabama and went on to become Commander of the 102nd Armament and Electronic Squadron when he was ordered to active duty under General Charles Sweeney’s 102nd Tactical Fighter Wing during the Berlin Crisis in France and Germany from 1961 to 1962. Colonel Napolitano retired from the United States Air Force and the Massachusetts Air National Guard in 1967.
For his many years of meritorious service, he was awarded numerous medals including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Air Medal, several Commendation Medals, and the Good Conduct Medal, among others.
Colonel Napolitano retired from the United States Post Office in 1975. He also graduated from Newbury Junior College in 1975 Summa Cum Laude. He was Director for many years for numerous charitable organizations including The Merwin Free Clinic For Animals in Brighton, Massachusetts and The Red Acre Farm in Stowe, Massachusetts, which provided specially trained dogs to serve the needs of the deaf. He was an avid golfer and a fifty-year member of the MDC Ponkapoag golf course located in Canton, Massachusetts.
Beloved husband of the late Carmela V. (Cappadona). Father of Paula A. George & her husband Frederick of Pembroke, Diane M. D’Olympia of N. Quincy & Denise A. Napolitano and her husband Charles Young of Cambridge. Grandfather of Major Morgan C. D’Olympia USAFR, and wife Capt. Jenny (Reinhold) USAFR of Canton, Jessica A. George of Scituate and Adam C. George of Pembroke. Great grandfather of Samuel Baptiste and Noah D’Olympia. In addition, he is survived by Ben, Jennifer, Angela and Michael Song, his extended family from California. Visiting hours at the Dockray & Thomas Funeral Home 455 Washington St. Canton Sunday 4-8 pm. Funeral Mass at St. John the Evangelist Church, Canton Monday morning at 10:30. Interment Knollwood Memorial Park, Canton. Army Air Corp Veteran of WW II. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Maryknoll Fathers & Brothers P.O. Box 302 Maryknoll, NY 10545