By Nicole Falco
Thousands of miles away in Okinawa, Japan, Marine Lance Cpl. Dominic Castiello, 19, a landing-support specialist stationed with the 3rd Transportation Support Battalion, is poised and ready to receive and carry out orders.
Castiello enlisted in the Marine Corps' delayed-entry program during his senior year at Valley Stream Central High School. Shortly after graduating in June 2002, Castiello headed to Parris Island, South Carolina, for boot camp. Castiello completed additional training at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He was sent home for three weeks before his battalion was deployed to Japan on March 20.
"I'm not complaining he's in Okinawa...I imagine I would never be able to leave the house if my son was over there," Rosanne said.
While combat has lessened in Iraq since the fall of Baghdad, allied forces continue to occupy that country searching for Saddam Hussein, his key associates, weapons of mass destruction and to offer a police presence.
"When I spoke to him he said he was pissed he wasn't there [in Iraq]," said his father, Matt.
"He told his father that, he didn't tell me that," Rosanne said.
Still, it's no surprise to either of his parents that he would want to be near the action. Castiello had been talking about joining the Marines since junior high school.
"[His decision] came after years of really studying it," Matt said. "My dad was in World War II. I think from the stories I told him from when he was very young about his grandfather, he had a keen interest in the stories I related to him that my father related to me."
Castiello's grandfather, also named Dominic, served two years in the Army and was among the soldiers who stormed the beaches at Normandy.
"I had my moments when I would try to persuade him to do something different but I knew he wasn't going to change his mind," Rosanne said. "I supported his decision."
Matt said, "I think this was something pent up inside that he just needed to do."
Events, including Sept. 11 and the war with Iraq, only strengthened Castiello's desire to be a Marine, according to his parents.
Castiello excelled during his training and is eligible for $30,000 in college grants and was considered for officer training school, but the young recruit decided he would rather take an immediate, hands-on role.
He is able to speak to his family once a week and was recently able to give them a phone number where he could be contacted in Japan. Whenever he calls home his mom said he always asks for Michael O'Reilly and Jerome De Blasio, two Central alumni who are also Marines. O'Reilly is currently stationed in Camp Pendleton, California, and DiBlasio is in Iraq.
"Looking at the news I feel as if everyone of those kids could be my son," Matt said. "I have a tremendous amount of pride in him that I could get choked up just talking about it."
His entire family is proud of him, including his mom, dad, sister, Christine, 17, and brother, Nick, 15. While he's away a Marine Corps flag flies on a flagpole in their front yard. The flagpole, which his parents put up at Castiello's request, was the first thing Castiello saw when he came home from boot camp.
"He'll make a fine Marine," Rosanne said. "I know he will and I know he's very happy with what he's doing."
