Joseph W. LoRicco

Joseph Walter LoRicco is a United States Army veteran who served in South Korea during the 1960s. He was born in January 1937 in Jersey City, New Jersey, where he grew up with his three siblings, one of whom was his identical twin brother Rocco, born just nine minutes before him. The two looked so alike growing up that LoRicco recalled switching places in school one day, something Rocco would once again offer to do after learning his brother was drafted! They were raised by their mother and father, a working-class couple who instilled the value of hard work in their offspring. LoRicco was the only member of his family to serve in the military. After graduating from Dickinson High School in Jersey City, he entered the job market and landed a position working in data processing for a local corporation. 

Unfortunately, LoRicco and his wife Vera were married less than two months when he received his draft notice. He was unhappy with leaving his new bride, but recognized the importance of responding to the call to duty. On July 5, 1960, LoRicco was ordered to report to Fort Dix, New Jersey, for basic training. He completed the standard eight weeks and was then sent to Fort Riley, Kansas, for advanced individual training in infantry skills.

Although LoRicco had a civilian background in data processing, his status as a draftee prevented him from choosing an Army branch of service, hence his assignment as an infantryman. After completing advanced training in Kansas, during which he received several marksmanship medals with various small arms, he was sent to Oakland Army Base, where he was informed that he would be stationed in South Korea as a member of the First Cavalry Division’s 1st Battle Group, 7th Cavalry, aka the “Country Boys”.

The flight to Korea was long and required two refueling stops, one on Wake Island, and the other in Yokohama, Japan. The rope seats and turbulence of the military transport plane in the air left LoRicco thankful for landing safely. When he arrived on December 8, 1960, he “kissed the ground” after the bay doors opened to the cold embrace of South Korean air. The initial odor of the country’s fertilizer was easily recognizable and something that has stuck with him after all these years. His unit’s base was in Munsan, several miles away from the border with North Korea. The unit’s main mission was serving as combat support for the South Korean army, if North Korean troops attacked across the 38th latitude parallel that divided the countries.

The unit served as a show of force near the potential main battle position, or M.B.P. The soldiers’ duties consisted of constant training and guard duty along the base perimeter. They also maintained the physical aspects of the base and aided in any military construction projects in the area.

LoRicco was assigned to carry a Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) while on duty; he recalled the heavy weight of the gun and ammunition. Quarters on the base were in Quonset huts, which offered minimal living space. Comradery with his fellow servicemen helped pass the time, along with the “10 cent night” at the local N.C.O club near the base. He helped soldiers stretch out those 10 cent beers, as many struggled to ration their paychecks properly. LoRicco recalled playing billiards with one of his superior officers and winning on a technicality. It was those little things that made military life more bearable. Interacting with the local population also provided a sense of purpose, as he witnessed the struggles of poverty, with many children in orphanages within the area.

In 1961, after several months of serving in the infantry, LoRicco’s luck took a turn for the better, when he had an opportunity to demonstrate the skills acquired in his former civilian field of expertise. Two sergeants took notice of this and approved his transfer to a data processing job at the U.S. Army headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, with the proviso that, should war break out, he would be sent back to his combat unit.

LoRicco was thrilled to be reassigned, and felt he was able to contribute more than he had before. In Seoul, he also passed several military vehicle drivers’ exams, and operated Jeeps and three-quarter ton trucks while stationed there. LoRicco kept a personal log in hopes of writing a book someday. It contained important moments that occurred during his service but, unfortunately, he lost it years ago.

LoRicco said being away from home was the hardest part of his service and weighed heavily on his mind while overseas. He wrote to his wife nearly every day until his time was up, as a way of staying close. LoRicco has kept some of the letters they exchanged over the course of his two years in the army. He was grateful for the continuous support he received from his wife and family both during his service and once he returned home. In February of 1962, LoRicco received notice that he would return to the U.S. and finish the remaining months of his term stateside. The thirty-day trip home, aboard a military transport ship, included a stop in Yokohama, Japan, as well as provided new challenges, like dealing with seasickness and even smaller living quarters than he had in Korea. Eventually LoRicco saw the “warm embrace” of the Golden Gate Bridge, and the ship docked in San Francisco Bay outside the Oakland Army Base.

LoRicco, now holding the rank of Specialist 4th Class, was assigned to Fort Jay, New York, where he worked in the data processing department. He had no desire to reenlist, was eager to return to civilian life and readapted rather quickly after being honorably released from active duty on July 3, 1962. Just two weeks after, LoRicco landed a job working at a local service center, and then ultimately settled into a position at Duratest Manufacturing, a company he remained with for most of his post-military career. He later went on to run and operate his own business before retiring. LoRicco remained a member of the U.S. Army Inactive Reserve for an additional four years and was honorably discharged on July 30, 1966.