Patrick F. Caruso was a native of New Jersey. He was educated at Western Maryland College and later earned two M.A. degrees from Seton Hall University. Eager to join the war effort, Caruso enlisted in the Marine Corps while still in college and attended Officer Candidates School at Quantico, Virginia.
After receiving his commission, he was assigned to the Ninth Regiment, Third Marine Division, and in February 1945, his company launched its attack in Iwo Jima. By the end of the attack, all five of Caruso’s senior officers had been killed or wounded, leaving him in command of K Company. Before the battle was over, Caruso was also a casualty.
Following the war, Caruso was employed by the Veterans Administration as a rehabilitation officer assisting disabled veterans. In 1953 he began a career in education, retiring in 1981 after thirteen years as superintendent of the Morris Hills, New Jersey, district schools.
Caruso was also the author of numerous newspaper and magazine articles, including an Associated Press article commemorating the Battle of Iwo Jima. His widow, Mary, lives in New Jersey and Florida.
