A veteran of World War II who has been paying for his own medical care for the last 78 years is now, finally, receiving benefits from the United States government.
The caregiver of Louis Gigliotti, a former U.S. Army medical technician, claims that the veteran has a Veteran Administration card but is unaware that he is eligible for free benefits such as health care.
As he enters his second century, Gigliotti might need assistance to cover expenses related to his teeth, hearing, and eyesight. Those who reside in Anchorage, where he is a part of his nephew’s family, paid tribute to him last week at the Alaska Veterans Museum.
Though she had been taking care of Gigliotti for the better part of a decade, his nephew’s wife, Melanie Carey, had begun to assist him with his medical expenses. At that point, she discovered he wasn’t using the VA for his medical treatment but rather was paying for it himself. The local facility’s personnel informed her that he had never been there.
She believed that he was unaware of the advantages of being a veteran and is now attempting to fix those problems so he is covered in the future.
Gigliotti lived in a Norwalk, Connecticut, orphanage and on a farm. Along with two of his pals, he attempted to enlist in the military at the beginning of WWII, but his eyesight rendered him ineligible. His friends perished in the assault on Pearl Harbor.
Following the assault on Pearl, his second application to the military was accepted, so he worked as a surgical assistant throughout the war, avoiding deployment to combat zones.
Alaska was his new home in 1955 after the war had ended. Ten years later, he moved to Anchorage from Fairbanks after owning two bars there. He was the bartender at Club Paris, the oldest steakhouse in Anchorage, for twenty years. Millie, his wife of 38 years, died of cancer in 2003. To pass the time, he gave free boxing lessons to amateurs in a makeshift ring he built in his garage.
The state’s Office of Veterans Affairs presented Gigliotti with the Alaska Veterans Honor Medal in recognition of his efforts in obtaining benefits. The medal is presented to Alaska veterans who have distinguished themselves during times of war or peace.
