E-mail Joseph Cuccaro

Military Bio

Service Dates: Aug 1960 - Sep 1974

Comments: Received a Regular Army Commission out of the R.O.T.C. Distinguish Graduate Program from the University of Pittsburgh along with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in August 1960. Initial assignment was Mortar Btry 2 ABG (Abn), 82nd Airborne Div, Ft. Bragg, N.C. Completed Airborne Training (Jump School) at Ft. Bragg in Oct 1960. (Jan 1961, marched in President Kennedy¹s Inaugural parade as a representative of the 82nd Airborne Division.) Feb-Aug 1961, completed Basic Artillery Officer Training at Ft. Sill, Okla and Ft. Bliss, TX. Competed Jump Master School in Nov 1961 at Ft. Bragg . Completed Special Forces Staff Officer course at Ft. Bragg Oct 1962 and on alert for airborne assault on Cuba. Assigned in Nov 1962-Dec 1964, to the 10th SF Gp (Abn) in Bad Tölz, Germany. (Was on SF mission in the mid-East when President Kennedy was assassinated.) Assigned Dec 64-Dec 65, as G-2 Operations Officer, 25th Inf Division, Augsburg Germany. Jan-Nov 1966, completed Advanced Artillery Officer Training at Ft. Sill, Okla & Ft. Bliss, TX. Nov 1966-Dec 1967, assigned 2nd Inf Div in Korea. Served as Div Arty S-3, and as X-O for a 105mm How Bn an as XO of the 155mm/8² How Bn. Dec 1967-Aug 1968, assigned XVIII Airborne Corps, Ft Bragg as G-4 Contingency Plans Officer. Completed Sep-Oct 1968, the MATA/Vn language course at Ft. Bragg & Biggs AFB, El Paso, TX. Jan-Dec 1969, assigned as Battalion & then Division Artillery advisor to Vietnamese Airborne Division, Vn. Jan-Mar 1970, complete Sergeant Missile course at Ft. Sill, Okla. Apr 1970-1972, S-3 and then X0 of the 5th Bn/ 30th Arty Sergeant Missile Bn in Vicenza, Italy and served under Ltc Wm. B. Nolde, the last official casualty of the Vn War. May 1972-May 1973, served as Adjutant of USA Support Group. For most of the time from New Years 1973 thru April 1973, I was a patient at the local hospital. On May 1st, I was MedEvac thru Germany, Washington, D.C., Missouri, arriving May 5th at William Beaumont AMC, El Paso, TX. were medical boarding began. After several operations and about 18 months, I was placed on TDRL (Temporary Disabled Retired List) on Sep 27, 1974. After 5 years of reevaluation, I was placed on permanent medical retirement in 1979.