GERMANI JOSEPH A

LTC Joseph A. Germani was a VHPA member who died after his tour in Vietnam on 01/17/2010 at the age of 71.8
Port Saint Lucie, FL
Flight Class 66-8
Date of Birth 04/12/1938
Served in the U.S. Army
Served in Vietnam with C/227 AVN 1 CAV in 66-67, 223 CAB in 71
Call sign in Vietnam RATTLE SNAKE
This information was provided by Jack Shields

More detail on this person: Col Joseph A. Germani Col. Joseph A. Germani, of 330 NE Solida Drive, Port Saint Lucie, FL, was born April 12, 1938 in Mamaroneck. Son of the late Angelo and Rose (Fraioli) Germani. Joseph, known to his friends as "Murph", was a resident of Port Saint Lucie, FL for the past thirty years. He served our country in the United States Army in the Dominican Republic and had multiple tours in the Vietnam War. He was a helicopter pilot with the 1st Air Cavalry. Col. Joe Germani was awarded more than twenty medal awards among those included Purple Heart with clusters, Air medals with clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross and the Vietnam Medal. Col. Germani retired in 1993. Col. Germani grew up in Mamaroneck, graduated Mamaroneck High School and the University of Tennessee. He entered the United States Army as a 2nd Lt. in the armor division and subsequently a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne and later advanced to become a highly decorated wartime helicopter pilot. Col. Germani, "Murph", was credited with saving numerous lives with his heroic and valiant battlefield duty which was recognized by the awarding of the Silver Star, Bronze Star and the Distinguished Flying Star. "Murph", like many of the Vietnam heros, carried the demons of combat and losses of friends with the demons and curses of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which finally led him to seek a final rest and escape. Murph's final expression lends to the following expression as noted by a fellow Viet Nam warrior as enscribed at the Viet Nam Memorial: From the Vietnam Veteran's War Memorial: "If you are able, save for them a place inside of you and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go. Be not ashamed to say you loved them, though you may or may not have always. Take what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own. And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind." Major Michael Davis O'Donnell 1 January 1970 Dak To, Vietnam Listed as KIA February 7, 1978. He leaves behind his sister Carol Germani O'Brien and brother in law Artie O'Brien of Houston, TX, many cousins, and Chrissie & Billy Andrews with whom he resided the past seven months, and many lifelong friends including, Jim Rosenblum, Michael Girolomo, Stu Schwartzreich and his companion of twenty years, Barbara Lachmann. A visitation will be held on Tuesday from 6:00-9:00 p.m. at COXE & GRAZIANO FUNERAL HOME, 767 East Boston Post Road, Mamaroneck. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. in St. Vito's RC Church, followed by interment in St. Mary's Cemetery

Burial information: St. Mary's Cemetery, Port Chester, NY

This information was last updated 05/22/2018

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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024


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