My Uncle Joe

My uncle, Joseph Lobosco, was a Men’s Man. He looked like Errol Flynn in his United States Army fatigues combat uniform. He fought in WWII and The Pacific Theatre Campaign against the Empire of Japan. He never really spoke about his experience in The Pacific. He often told stories considered politically incorrect. Uncle Joe did not care. His stories were often funny, causing one to chuckle.

My uncle was a kind man. I remember one Christmas Eve Uncle Joe paid his sister, my mother, and her children, me, and my brothers, a visit. He saw we had no Christmas tree or holiday decoration. So, he went shopping, returned about two hours later with a huge Christmas tree and all the decorations and accoutrements that would dress our tree on Christmas in joy, cheerfulness, delight, and merriment. We all had fun hanging balls, garland, and tinsel. Our tree looked like something out of Disney Land.

Uncle Joe made us incredibly happy. I will always remember his kindness. Uncle Joe was a character. A strong individualist who was novel, enthusiastic, and street wise. Uncle Joe drove a pickup truck, collected metal and paper, which he sold, and recycled. He was a “Junk Man.” He did this for a living. He was a hardworking man. A man who lived during the Great Depression, and fought in the Good War, WWII.

As I mentioned, Uncle Joe visited his sister, a single parent, to make sure we had food, and could pay the rent. He made sure we enjoyed the holidays, too. He visited us every weekend and sometimes dropped in during the week. He was like the father I never knew. Uncle Joe made all the difference in this young man’s life. Thank you, Uncle Joe. I salute you!

Credits to: Juniper Park Civic

Original Post: https://junipercivic.com/juniper-berry/article/my-uncle-joe