Correspondent photo / Karla Dines Carmen Santone of Warren served four years in the U.S. Navy. He is shown reviewing pictures of the many countries he visited, as well as images of himself and fellow soldiers during the three years he spent on a naval destroyer.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part of a weekly series highlighting local veterans that runs every Monday through Veterans Day.

WARREN — Following graduation from St. Mary’s High School in Warren, Carmen Santone enlisted in the Navy.

His father, Anthony Santone, served in World War II. All four of Santone’s younger brothers — Michael, Daniel, Anthony and Paul — also served in the armed forces.

Santone chose the Navy because of the travel opportunities and because of the education available to sailors.

“Being in the military was a life-changing experience, just meeting different people and going to a million different places and meeting all the other sailors. It was all a lot different than just going to Quinby Park. These things change you,” Santone said.

Following graduation from boot camp at the Great Lakes Naval Base in North Chicago, Santone spent the next eight months at Fleet Sonar School in Key West, Florida.

“After Sonar School, I was on a leaping Greyhound, otherwise known as a destroyer, for over three years in Charleston, South Carolina,” Santone said.

Part of the job of a destroyer is what is called “plane guard.” The destroyer follows the aircraft carrier as planes are taking off or landing from the carrier. If there is a problem at that time — and the pilot has no choice but to ditch into the ocean — a select team from the destroyer, trained in rescue procedures, has the responsibility of rescuing the pilot. Saving a life in times of peace, or in times of war, requires the same amount of gallantry.

One cold February day in the North Atlantic, there was a problem with a plane, requiring the rescue of a pilot. Santone was a part of the trained rescue team.

“I am a swimmer. There was a guy who was in the water. We got him out. He had a broken leg, so we shipped him to the aircraft carrier, using ropes. You put the gurney on a basket-like thing, using ropes. We just pulled the guy across,” Santone said.

As the team of sailors approached the pilot, a voice on a loudspeaker coming from the aircraft carrier made the following announcement: “We provide you with one gallon of ice cream per pound of pilot. What’s your flavor?”

The rescue operations are essential not only to the pilot’s life, but to the mission of the fleet and to the U.S. Navy, and gifts of gratitude are given to the rescuing ship. On this occasion, the gift that was given was one gallon of ice cream for every pound of the pilot’s body weight.

“The water was so cold, so freezing cold, and the waves were rough,” Santone recalled.

Forty years later, the pilot they rescued that day showed up at a Navy reunion. At the reunion, he said, “If it weren’t for you guys, I wouldn’t be here.” He wanted a picture with the team of rescuers.

After leaving the Navy in 1962, Santone continued his education, studying electronics and later, engineering. Santone retired from a supervisory position at WCI Steel. He also taught electronics at Trumbull Career & Technical Center.

At a Navy reunion, a fellow sailor presented Santone with a painting depicting that pilot rescue on that brutally cold February day. The painting includes their DD940 destroyer and the aircraft carrier. Also included in the painting are multiple gallons of ice cream. The large painting is displayed in Santone’s study, completely covering one wall.

Santone made two trips through the Mediterranean. Some of the countries visited during his enlistment were Turkey, Greece, Spain, Italy, Lebanon, Northern Europe, and countries in the Caribbean. At times, as he and the other sailors went ashore, Santone served on shore patrol, ensuring that the sailors did not get too rowdy.

“We always had to be in uniform. My job was to keep peace as we stopped in other countries,” Santone said.

“We never fought, but riding in a destroyer for three years, they don’t call it a ‘leaping Greyhound’ for nothing. It is a bouncy ride,” he said.