Brigade mourns two of their own
By Sgt. 1st Class Todd Oliver
173d Brigade Public Affairs
Soldiers from the 173d Airborne Brigade attend memorial services for Sgt. Joseph Minucci and Pfc. Jacob Fletcher Nov. 21. (Photo by Airman 1st Class Alicia Sarkkinen, U.S. Air Force)
In a ritual that is becoming too familiar, the 173d Airborne Brigade gathered Nov. 21 to mourn the death of two paratroopers.
Sgt. Joseph Minucci and Pfc. Jacob Fletcher both gave their lives Nov. 16 when an improvised explosive device was detonated near their convoy. Both Soldiers were returning from a rest and recreation trip.
As is the tradition at these memorials someone, a close friend, talks for a few moments about their fallen comrade.
"The first time I met Sgt. Joseph Minucci was five days before we jumped in," said Spc. Justin Harper, a member of Minucci's team. "My first impression of him was, 'What a goofball!' I didn't know what to make of him, but then I got used to his personality. You never knew what he would say. Most of the time whatever he would say came out of right field and that was just the way he was."
Harper went on to recall an incident involving an illegal Kurdish checkpoint set up in Kirkuk shortly after the city was liberated. The local police, still in their infancy, were afraid to challenge the Kurds who had emplaced the checkpoint.
"None of the cops would go there by themselves," Harper said. "Minucci grabbed them and off they went. Some of the cops were scared but not Sgt. Minucci, he walked down the street like he owned it. When the Kurds saw him approaching they took off running. The thing I remember about that whole day was whenever he came to check on me later there was that happy look on his face. Never one of fear, even with all the gunfire and explosions going on around us in the city."
Even when he was able to leave Iraq, Minucci didn't want to.
"When he was going to the Primary Leadership Development Course he wasn't happy, even though he was going to be out of Iraq for a month," Harper said. "He wanted to stay with his team. No leader ever wants to give up his paratroopers, especially Sgt. Minucci.
"He was a paratrooper. Joe, if you can hear me now, just shut up and get in line. And oh yeah, try not to ignore Saint Peter too much," Harper finished.
"I hope I can keep my composure," said a choked up Spc. Carson Petry. "I want to introduce you to Jacob Fletcher. Jay to his friends back home, and Fletch to his brothers here today. Fletch was my roommate, my best friend, and like a brother to me. He loved freedom, motorcycles, and he had a talent for playing the drums."
"Fletch had a heart of gold; he would do anything in the world for you," Petry continued. "He was a lifelong friend and you don't find many of those. He experienced more in his 29 years then most do in a lifetime. In fact he had 'pain and suffering' tattooed on his arm. It was written backwards so when he looked in a mirror he would be reminded of that reality in life."
"If you want to take anything away from today," Petry said to the crowd. "Think of one person - one person you love, one person you depend on. Now imagine this is the last day that you will ever see that person again. What would you tell that person today? Whatever it is, make sure you tell them - today."
Sunday, November 16, 2003
By M. Ferguson Tinsley, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Sgt. Joseph Minucci II never voiced regrets about serving his country.
"He was a proud soldier," his mother, Marcella Rae Minucci, said yesterday. "He was proud to be serving in Iraq."
Sgt. Minucci, 23, of Richeyville, was killed Thursday on a road between Balad and Kirkuk, Iraq. Both northern Iraqi cities.
Minucci said her son, who would have turned 24 on Dec. 19, was carrying out security duty aboard a bus transporting soldiers after rest and recreation back to a base in Kirkuk. Along the way, an improvised explosive device erupted near the bus, killing Sgt. Minucci.
He was a member of the U.S. Army C Company, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade headquartered at Camp Ederle, Italy.
Sgt. Minucci had served in the military since joining the National Guard as a senior at Beth Center High School, in Fredericktown, Washington County, his mother said.
She said he wasn't geared toward college, but "he was looking for some purpose in his life," she said. "He told me the reason he did what he did was that he felt that he was keeping his family safe. He was not only protecting his country, but keeping us all safe."
The day the recruiter came to his school, the 17-year-old varsity football player and soccer co-captain known to friends and family as "Joey" felt that his purpose included the rigors and ideals of military life.
About a year later, he enlisted in the Army and went through basic training at Fort Benning, Ga. Later at Fort Campbell, Ky., Sgt. Minucci earned paratrooper wings and prepared for his first tour overseas, said his mother. He was awarded the rank of private first class.
In March 2002, he shipped out with the 101st Airborne Brigade to Afghanistan. There, he earned sergeant's stripes in combat. In June, he began mulling a decision to re-enlist as he came up for discharge, his mother said.
He signed up for another stint and returned to Fort Campbell, where he completed air assault training and readied himself for duty in Italy.
Deployed to Europe with the 173rd Airborne last spring, Sgt. Minucci got orders to move out to Iraq.
Marcella Minucci said her son's commander had planned to keep him in Italy a little longer. She said the others had experience parachuting into combat, but Sgt. Minucci had not.
Still, he was determined to stay with his unit.
"I was scared but he wanted to be there," his mother said. "He told us that."
Marcella Minucci and her husband, Terrence, have received a raft of email messages and phone calls from other members of their son's squad.
"They said they were proud to serve with him," Terrence Minucci said. "He will be greatly missed."
In addition to his parents, Sgt. Minucci is survived by a sister, Shannon Minucci Grande; and a brother, Terrence Lee Jr.
His body is to be flown to Dover Air Force Base today and then transported to Pittsburgh by Tuesday. Funeral arrangements are incomplete.
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M. Ferguson Tinsley can be reached at mtinsley@post-gazette.com or 724-772-0167.
