Category: Iwo Jima

Independent Filmmaker Larry Cappetto on Giving Voice to War Veterans Through Recording Their Stories

For one independent filmmaker, Memorial Day means much more than a 24-hour holiday or even a three-day weekend. For Larry Cappetto, Memorial Day is his life. Cappetto has dedicated his craft to honoring veterans by recording their memories and experiences for future generations. Since 2003, Cappetto said, he has interviewed more than 1,000 American and…


97-Year-Old Marine Who Survived Iwo Jima Walks Into Cafe, Tells His Stories—So They Give Him His Own Table

The Cafe Republic on North Beach Street in Fort Worth holds a special place for someone who once prayed on a beach during the Battle of Iwo Jima. That someone is Don Graves, 97, who joined the Marine Corps in 1942 at age 17, before shipping off to fight alongside 335 other Marines, of whom…


Coffee Shop Owner Builds Scarecrow Iwo Jima Flag-Raising Tableau for Festive Tribute to Military

A coffee shop owner-operator in Georgia has been setting up scarecrows outside her establishment for a number of years—not to frighten off birds, but for a festive contest to raise community spirit. Kristy King, 42, who runs Elliano’s Coffee in Waycross, won that event—SwampTown Scarecrows—in 2015, with her scarecrow display depicting the Last Supper. Then,…