A hero’s remembrance
Nearly 78 years after his brother William’s combat death in France, 90 year-old Chookie Bennetti received a remembrance flag as the only surviving member of his family Saturday at Sons and Daughters of Italy Lodge 1664.
Representatives from the Honor and Remembrance organization presented the personalized flag to Chookie in front of nearly 50 friends and family members.
The honor was a complete surprise to Chookie.
“I’ll tell you what, you see these tears coming out of my eyes? That’s the gratitude I show,” he said.
“For someone to consider us for this honor is amazing,” said Shari Bennetti, Chookie’s wife.
Chookie Bennetti was 13 years old when his 16-year-old William enlisted to fight in World War II alongside his two brothers.
In August 1944, William was wounded by Germans while saving his platoon in a mission to blow up a bridge, according to Shari.
“Because of him, they were able to blow up the bridge. He was shooting at the German vehicles,” Shari said.
William received the Bronze Star for his bravery, and three months later was back on the battlefield in France. At 19 he was killed in December 1944 from mortar barrage on what’s known as Hill 393. He was awarded a posthumous Purple Heart.
Chookie’s brothers, Robert and Frank, returned home after the war, while William was buried in France. In 2018, Chookie was the first family member able to travel to his brother's gravesite and pay respects. As William’s only surviving sibling, Chookie and his family received the Honor and Remembrance flag with William’s name and date of death.
Donald P. Finnegan from the Indiana State chapter of Honor and Remember said the organization provides personalized flags to the families of fallen military members.
“We need to know who these families are and for them to know their loved ones were not lost in vain,” he said. “The custom flag is a legacy gift presented to the family so after they’re all gone, that name will be remembered.”
Finnegan said he heard about William’s story through a cousin posting on Facebook, and reached out hoping to raise funds for an Honor and Remember flag.
The organization has four goals, Finnegan said: to establish a symbol, educate on the need to remember, personalize flags for families and provide comfort to them.
“The flag is for those who died while serving or as a result of serving,” he said. “There are other deaths attributed to service like post traumatic stress, cancer, that take our military.”
William’s remembrance flag is the 128th presented in Pennsylvania by the organization. According to Finnegan, 1.3 million servicemen and women have given their lives for their country.
Members of Chookie’s family, including his daughter Laurie Cannizzaro, were happy to the event was a successful surprise for him.
“I cannot believe we were able to pull it off. It’s just amazing,” Cannizzaro said.
Finnegan said that flags like William’s are to honor the memory of a life well lived.
“I always say a hero dies twice,” Finnegan said. “Once as a physical death and once when no one calls out that name.”
