Cuccaro, Joe

Joe Cuccaro hails from Plainfield, New Jersey. Born March 21, 1937, he spent his early years growing up against the backdrop of World War Two, though for Joe his earliest memories of boyhood center on the New York Yankees. In the 1950s Joe went on to higher education, and the ROTC became part of his life, translating into a military career as the 1960s dawned. Joe was ready to leave the military life when the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred, and his tour was extended by President Kennedy, as was the case with so many other soldiers. Joe did go into private life, but he found that he missed the military, and he reenlisted. It was at this time the Vietnam War was heating up, with American involvement beginning in earnest in 1964. Joe trained for jungle warfare and was deployed twice in Vietnam, initially in the mid-1960s and again as the 1970s were getting underway. In between Joe remained on active duty as an officer, and he played a role in maintaining the peace in Detroit and Washington D.C. as the 1960s polarized America. Joe’s military career continued as the American role in Vietnam came to an end, and he would serve postings in Germany and the Pentagon, rising to the rank of major. Joe was interviewed by Scott Masters at his home in Falmouth, Maine.