Parade surprises World War II veteran on 100th birthday
By JEFF STITT
jstitt@yourmvi.com
Joseph “Ol’ Pa” Bruno of Dunlevy has a lot of friends and family in the Mon Valley who were excited that he turned 100 Tuesday.
Those loved ones intended to celebrate his milestone birthday with a huge party, but when the coronavirus resulted in restrictions on social gatherings, they realized a traditional birthday party wouldn’t be wise.
Joseph’s two daughters, Barbara Hall and Connie Wilson; grandchildren, Jodi Campano, James Hall, Marnie Martin, Aislynn Wilson Jenkins and Alaina Collins; and nine great grandchildren, were upset they wouldn’t be able to give their “Ol’ Pa” a proper 100th birthday celebration.
After seeing countless people across the country find creative ways to hold birthday celebrations in the age of social distancing and mandatory masks, Joseph’s family decided to organize a surprise birthday parade in his honor.
An unsuspecting Joseph, a U.S. Army veteran who served in the Philippine Islands and New Guinea during World War II, was drawn out to his front yard by relatives moments before the caravan of socially distant well wishers passed by his house.
Wrapped in a blanket and wearing a face mask and his World War II veteran cap, Joseph stepped out his front door to relax in a lawn chair and smoke a cigar. As he did, he was greeted by a giant yard sign that read “Happy 100th Birthday.”
Seconds later, the parade began with multiple police cars from the California borough and RESA police departments that cruised by with their horns honking and lights flashing. They were joined by more than 70 other vehicles decorated with balloons, streamers and signs with messages such as “Happy Birthday Ol’ Pa” and “Happy Birthday, Thank you for your service.”
Drivers and passengers who were clapping, cheering and shouting could be heard throughout Joseph’s neighborhood as he stood in the yard laughing and waving.
Joseph said he is hard of hearing as a result of a “long, loud, proud” career as a mold polisher at Corning Glass and admits he couldn’t make out all the remarks that passers by yelled in his direction. He said he could hear their horns, see the flashing lights, read their signs and felt the love all the same.
He enjoyed seeing some of his great-grandchildren shoot off confetti cannons as they drove past his house during the parade and is grateful for birthday cards people tossed into his yard as they drove by.
“I was surprised,” he said. “All those cars — Wow, was it very nice.”
“He’s such an influential person to all of us,” said Tom Campano, who is married to Joseph’s granddaughter, Jodi. “We spend a lot of time with him and with everything he has gone through and being part of the Greatest Generation, we wanted to do something special to wish him a happy birthday.”
“He was really excited when he saw the parade,” Barbara said. “There were so many cars. You could say he is a pretty popular guy.”
Joseph said he felt “special” watching the parade.
As it ended, Joseph’s immediate family parked their cars and — while practicing social distancing and wearing masks and gloves — gathered in his front yard to sing “Happy Birthday” to him.
Born May 5, 1920, Joseph has lived to experience many notable world and American events including the Great Depression, World War II, several pandemics and epidemics and more.
Thinking about how much stay-at-home orders, social distancing guidelines and the closing of the economy have impacted his friends, family and neighbors, Joseph reflected on some other rough times he witnessed over the past century.
“I have to say I never thought that in this day and age, our country would have something like this to deal with, but the whole world is suffering,” he continued. “It’s hard to believe that we were not better prepared.”
Joseph said he has “been around a long time” and “can still remember back when I was a kid playing in the street on Lincoln Avenue and Third Street in Charleroi.”
That was during the Great Depression.
“People are dying of the virus, but day-to-day living during the Depression was harder,” he said. “People were hungry, staving. There was no work. … My family is lucky this time around. No one got sick — not yet anyway.”
Joseph offered advice for those struggling to cope in the face of the pandemic.
“I would tell people to do the best they can. Live day by day and help each other,” he said. “As they say, this too shall pass.”
Joseph said it frustrates him that some people are not obeying and respecting coronavirus mitigation orders and guidelines.
“I wish for everyone to be healthy because you can’t buy good health,” he said. “I wish people would listen to the doctors.”
Joseph was married to the late Ruth Ellen Michener and is the son of the late Josefina Scarlotta Bruno and the late Salvatore Bruno, who emigrated from Rocca Paloma, Sicily. He is a member of St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Charleroi and the VFW and enjoys spending time with his family and tending to his small garden.
