My grandfather is a true & hard working American in my eyes. He & his family immigrated from Lucca, Italy back in 1926. Crossing through Ellis Island, as a baby, my grandfather was accompanied by his mother, father & his older sister. They made their home in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. My grandfather as the hard worker he was started working at the age of ten doing odd jobs like delivering milk or the Brooklyn Eagle to residents of Bay Ridge. As years went on he grew to be a strong individual who doesn’t take anyones crap. A month short of his 18th birthday he enlisted himself in the the U.S. Navy as a SeaBee at the start of WWII. The Seabees were sent over to Okinawa in April of 1945. My grandfather fought at the Battle of Okinawa from April of 1945 until June. He had brought the rifles he used during the war home with him. After the war my grandfather married, had 4 children who then had some of their own children, which is where I come into play. My grandfather’s life was his family. Since he was a veteran he always had stories to tell my cousins & I & he would tell them daily. I loved hearing them as a kid. As an adult I feel that my love of American History is due to the fact that I grew up hearing all these incredible war stories from my grandfather. I cherish those moments & will always remember the stories he had. As I grow older I hope to be just like him, a self made individual.

– Kristina Nolan

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant