JOHN DELL
- A Union of Strangers
- Frank Careccia: A Veterans' Day Tribute
- My Friend, My Hero, Paul Paramatto
- Paul Paramatto: A Veterans' Day Tribute
- September 11
John was drafted out of Brooklyn, NY in February 1969, did basic training in Ft. Gordon Georgia. was then assigned to a graphic training aids division in Ft. Belvoir, VA.
With less than a year left to serve it seemed that Vietnam was not in the cards for John. Hw did get a call to report to a combat engineer co. in Germany where he served as a company draftsman.
Because he was drafted during the Vietnam era and experienced, first hand, Vets returning and the pain of losing childhood friends like Paul. and because someone very well had served in his place in the jungles of Nam, John pays tribute to these unsung heroes every chance he gets.
John writes:
"I have an old high school friend who I recently reconnected with (a Vietnam Infantry Vet) I call him every Veterans' Day to thank him and always will.
I offer the following tributes, two of which I had published locally on Veterans Day. One is for Paul Paramatto, my childhood friend who was K.I.A in Vietnam, and the other for my High School friend Frank Careccia who extended his own tour of duty in Vietnam so his brother would not have to go (due to the sole survivor law). He was wounded and served there almost 2 years."