Staff Sergeant Dominick Critelli, a 104-year-old World War II veteran, is making a splash across social media for delivering a mind-blowing performance of the National Anthem on his saxophone before the start of a professional hockey game between the New York Islanders and the New York Rangers. His performance was so impressive it didn’t just earn a round of applause, but an eruption of celebration, including chants of “USA!” that roared across the arena.
Critelli, born in 1921, performed the patriotic tune flawlessly, which is impressive for anyone, but is absolutely miraculous coming from a 104-year-old man. Fans of both teams joined together in song as the anthem was performed by Critelli. As the song came to a close, the veteran of the Second World War drew out the final note, which immediately led into chants of “USA!” to honor the man and the country he served.
Before he left the ice after his performance, Critelli saluted the crowd in a true display of class. While serving in the war, Critelli was in the thick of combat for a total of 151 days, surviving through the Battle of the Bulge. He also took flights deep behind enemy lines to deliver supplies to stranded American forces. In other words, Critelli is a true American hero.
According to AOL, the WWII veteran was awarded the European -African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three Bronze Stars, the American Theater Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal. Critelli, who lives in Long Island’s Floral Park, fired up the Islanders who went on to win the game 2- 0. Following the game, the Islanders posted on Instagram, “1-0 in the Dominick Critelli Era.”
Before going on to deliver his soul-stirring performance, Critelli sat down for an interview with the New York Post. “I love this country,” he told the outlet. Critelli immigrated to the United States from Italy when he was a young child. “If I hadn’t come to this country, I’d be stuck with Mussolini,” he added. Critelli was also knighted by French President Emmanuel Macron for helping to free the country during the war.
“He pins a medal on me, kisses me on both cheeks, and I ask, ‘If I’m a knight, where’s my sword and horse?’” Critelli jokingly recounted. The talented jazz musician also earned a music degree from New York University before heading to Europe to wage war against the Axis powers. And while he was certainly excited for the opportunity to play for a huge sellout crowd, this wasn’t the biggest audience he’s performed for.
During his time serving in World War II, Critelli played on top of a rolling party of tanks before a cheering crowd of people in the Netherlands after liberating the area from Nazi rule. “I guess, it must have been 50,000, 60,000 people,” he recalled of the once-in-a-lifetime performance. “It’s amazing. I’ve gone through so much.” While serving in the 95th Infantry Division and the 378th Infantry Regiment, where he was part of an artillery aviation unit, Critelli helped to free survivors from Nazi concentration camps.
"*" indicates required fields
Featured image: screenshot from embedded video