The words “hopefully one day you will love your job as much as I loved mine” were often used by my great-grandfather, George Capua, as he described Grumman aerospace engineering. George Capua had developed a reputation for excellence in design and manufacture of aircraft; qualities that came to the forefront during the Second World War. My great grandfather was a first generation baby in America after his father came over from Italy in 1905 with the hopes of pursuing the American dream. Eventually, my great- grandfather’s life became filled with the exhilarating moments of designing floats with Grumman Engineering that allowed U.S. Navy land planes to function as seaplanes. From the mid 1930s through World War II, Grumman’s increasingly capable radial piston-engine fighters were the standard planes for U.S. aircraft carriers which received them praise and recognition from the U.S. military and even NASA. After 25 years, my grandfather received this exquisitely crafted sapphire and diamond pin in which he later put on an effortless gold bracelet that he gifted to my great grandmother. Following my great-grandmother’s sudden death, she left the pin to my grandmother, starting the tradition of passing this gold pin down generation after generation. This pin is a constant reminder of my great grandfather’s successes and my family’s heritage and has inspired me to want to major in engineering. Although Grumman is no longer on Long Island, perhaps I may end up doing engineering and will be able to tell my grandkids the same thing my great grandfather once told me. 

– Rylee Brooks

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more