Joe Rosato

Joe Rosato was born in Italy on December 10, 1929. His father immigrated to the United States prior to the rest of the family, who divided their time between Italy and the United States until 1940, when they permanently settled in America. He attended Italian schools during his early childhood and continued his education in Chicago. As tensions escalated in Korea, he enlisted in the United States Army and completed basic training at Fort Ord, California. In 1950, the Army assigned him to Okinawa for additional training before deploying him to Korea. He initially fought at the Pusan Perimeter and subsequently advanced to Jinju. Serving as a 57mm recoilless rifle gunner with the 35th military unit, he attained the rank of corporal. He described his experiences as consistently dangerous, with no secure locations available. He participated in five major battles and received multiple star medals, including the Bronze Star, prior to his honorable discharge from the Army.