WCPO: UC grad and WWII vet celebrates 102nd birthday
Art Fusaro studied chemical engineering at UC
WCPO celebrated the 102nd birthday of University of Cincinnati alumnus Art Fusaro as he looked back at his military service during World War II.
Fusaro was studying chemical engineering at UC when he was called up from the U.S. Army Reserves to serve in the Signal Corps. He was deployed to Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, to learn more about the latest wireless communications. Then he went to Germany to teach other soldiers how to install this essential communications equipment that allowed military leaders to talk over secure lines.
“This was pretty secretive stuff,” Fusaro told WCPO. “We had the main line of communication between Gen. Omar Bradley and Gen. George Patton. It was an important line as it turned out.”
Later, Fusaro was sent to Hawaii to conduct training for communications systems there.
“We went to set up a school there. We were still at war with Japan,” he said.
Fusaro was in Honolulu on Aug. 14, 1945 — Victory over Japan Day — signifying Japan’s unconditional surrender and the formal end of World War II.
Fusaro captured a black-and-white photo of hundreds of American sailors and soldiers celebrating in the streets that day. After the war, Fusaro returned to UC, earning a degree in chemical engineering.
Featured image at top: UC chemical engineering graduate Art Fusaro talks to WCPO's Craig McKee about his military experience in World War II. Photo/WCPO
Volunteer on UC's Veteran Task Force
UC created a Veteran Task Force in 2019 to increase the recruitment and retention of diverse and highly skilled veteran faculty, staff and students. To volunteer for the task force, contact Karla Phillips (Karla.Phillips@uc.edu) or Jill Cochran (Jill.Cochran@va.gov). UC's Veteran Task Force welcomes student, faculty and staff from all campuses to participate in the task force which aims to ensure veterans' interests are represented at UC.
Related Stories
Cincinnati sees record rainfall in weekend deluge
July 21, 2026
The Cincinnati Enquirer talks to UC College of Engineering and Applied Science Associate Professor Patrick Ray for context about a July 17 rainstorm that dumped a record amount of rain on parts of Cincinnati.
Putting preschool into perspective
July 20, 2026
Preschool and childcare can be difficult to navigate for parents, as Spectrum News 1 Ohio recently reported. Waitlists are long, and factors like cost, location and transportation can limit options. According to a recent study published by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, only 41% of 3- to 4-year-olds in Ohio were enrolled in preschool between 2020 and 2024 — a 4% decrease from pre-pandemic numbers. For University of Cincinnati early childhood education faculty member Chad Nunamaker, that statistic has caveats.
Engineering magnets for a cleaner future
July 20, 2026
The United States is heavily reliant on imported rare-earth materials to make permanent magnets. Ugochukwu Philip Ochieze, materials science student at the University of Cincinnati, is studying how to use common materials to create permanent magnets, eliminating the need for expensive and scarce rare-earth materials. Pursuing his PhD, Ochieze was named Graduate Student Engineer of the Month by the College of Engineering and Applied Science.