Hampton Bays School District Honor Veterans During Sept. 11 Ceremony

On the 14th anniversary of Sept. 11, the Hampton Bays School District continued its tradition of honoring veterans during a flag ceremony at the elementary school.

During the ceremony, the district recognized heroes of Sept. 11, as well as the service of Salvatore Conte, a World War II veteran.

“Mr. Conte is a symbol to all those who have served our country,” Superintendent of Schools Lars Clemensen said.

Before presenting Conte with an American Flag, members of the elementary school K-Kids Club read excerpts from Conte’s biography and middle school students read their Patriot Pen Essays.

Conte was born in Brooklyn in July of 1925, and raised at Saint John’s Orphan Home, where he attended elementary school.

He then attended Brooklyn Technical High School, transferring later to Manhattan Music and Arts High School.

In 1942, at the age of 17, Conte left high school to enlist in the Marines.

At the height of World War II, Conte was sent to Paris Island, South Carolina where he and his fellow Marines attended boot camp.

After completing boot camp, Conte was sent to Quantico, Virginia for additional training and then was integrated into the 3rd Marine Division Amphibious Corp.

His “baptism of fire” started in November of 1943 as part of the initial beach invasion on the island of Bougainville in the Pacific Ocean, which was held by the Japanese.

It took Conte and his fellow Marines nearly a month of fighting and the loss of 423 Marines’ lives to wrestle the island back.

On April 1, 1945, Conte and his fellow Marines were sent to Okinawa where they fought the Japanese for control.

Conte fought in Okinawa until June 25, 1945, when he was flown to the island of Guam to wait for the final invasion of Japan, but in August of 1945, two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, ending the war.

After being discharged in December of 1945, he returned to Brooklyn to complete high school and find employment for a steamship company.

It was during that time that he met his wife, Rose, who was a schoolteacher.

The two got married in1957 and settled in Forest Hills, Queens, raising five children.

Their family has since grown to include 10 grandchildren and one great grandchild.

Today, Conte and Rose live full-time in Hampton Bays in a summer home they purchased in 1992.

The couple is active in Saint Rosalie’s Church and Conte is also a member of the Knights of Columbus.

Following the presentation of the American flag to Conte, dignitaries in attendance, including Legislator Jay Sniderman and Southampton Town Supervisor Anna Throne Holst, bestowed proclamations in Conte’s name and the Hampton Bays Fire Department presented the district with a Sept. 11 memorial wreath.

The ceremony concluded with fourth-graders singing Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean, following the ceremonial raising of the flag in front of the elementary school.

Photo courtesy of the Hampton Bays School District