Nicolo (Nicholas) Muratore was born in Brooklyn in 1931. When he was about 7 years old his family moved to Ozone Park, Queens. Mr. Muratore enlisted in the Air Force at the age of 19, shortly after starting college. He served from 1951 to 1955 and was trained to work as a radio mechanic. During the Korean War, Mr. Muratore was stationed at Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa for 9 months. While there he worked on B-29 bombers in need of repair.
After completing his service in the Air Force, Mr. Muratore utilized benefits from the GI Bill to return to college and pursue his dream of becoming a teacher. For 31 years he taught American history and later, Sociology at Hicksville High School. In addition, he taught at Suffolk County Community College for 33 years as an adjunct professor of Sociology. He is appreciative that he was able to take advantage of the GI Bill to fund his education and hopes other veterans do the same.
Mr. Muratore’s interview was recorded at the Smithtown Library on December 5, 2019.
The images below illustrate Mr. Muratore's service with the U.S. Air Force. Images courtesy of Nicholas Muratore.