COL (R) Joseph A. Simonelli

COL (R) Joseph A. Simonelli sat down with me for Heroes Live.

Junior. Not the third. First live we ever did. Colonel Joe reporting for duty.

Verona, New Jersey. Italian-American. Second generation. Oldest of four. Three older sisters. Altar boy at six. Mom worked the cafeteria. He grew eight inches in one summer. Six foot four. Too big for Pop Warner. Equipment manager. Stood with the coaches.

Recruited to West Point for football. Number 72. Offensive tackle. Almost went to Maine. Plebe year he blew the knee. Four operations. Played cow year. Stopped so he could graduate and pin on. Thirty years.

Air defense. Germany. Hawk. Then Patriot. He took 2-552 from Joe Fischetti. Team Deuce. Our way. He sang it to us when he left command. Randy Buhari let the leash out. Pulled it back when he had to.

Season tickets. Motor home parked at West Point. They sponsor 72 every year. Colby Enegren is a captain now. Headed to Stewart. Betty Marie. First day of officer basic. He helped carry a couch. Married 36 years. Four golden retrievers.

He never deletes an email. Never turns down a call. Pay it forward. That is the legacy he wants. Colonel Joe would help you. He would not ask for praise. Just do it for the next one.

Team Deuce. Carry on. That is why we hit record. Get the story on tape before we are too old or too sick to tell it.