Joe was born and raised in South Omaha, after graduating from Tech High School in 1964 he joined the Navy. He spent five years active duty as a radio man and crypto repairman. After boot camp and radio A school, Joe spent one year on a Dock Landing Ship and went to Vietnam in 1965, bringing supplies, and landings of Army construction outfit and Marine units. In 1966 he volunteered for duty on river patrol boats doing two - and one-half tours in Vietnam in a twin fifty-gun mount that came out of WWII bombers. The PBR boats were 31-foot fiberglass boats with a 4-man crew. Joe was in three river divisions spending most of his time in the delta south of Saigon. After Tet of 1968 he was sent to the DMZ on the Perfume River with river division 521. Joe is a Life Member of Gamewardens of Vietnam (TF116.org), PBR-FVA (Patrol Boat River Forces Veteran Association), UDT-Seal Association and VVA (Vietnam Veterans of America).
After getting out of the service, Joe returned home and worked two jobs doing concrete work with his uncles and at Ralston Purina. In 1971 Joe married his wife Arleen and used the GI Bill, going to Omaha University (now UNO) getting a degree in Business and Land Use Economics. After graduating, Joe took a job as a Real Estate Appraiser, became a partner and a few years later became the owner of the company, spending 43 years appraising and managing a construction company.
Joe has been doing volunteer work for a group called Endless Journey for six years, pinning veterans in Hospice and nursing homes, thanking them for their service; he says it is the best job he has ever had. He also said he thanks every veteran he runs into because no veteran should ever suffer the hatred Nam vets felt.
