George W. Tucci, Jr. An unsung hero to be remembered

George W. Tucci, Jr. is another of Stoneham’s nearly forgotten heroes, whose unassuming personality and an insistence on quietly fulfilling so many of life’s duties on his own, make him deserving of more attention. Born in 1942 to George W. and Rose Phyllis (Bauer) Tucci, George had a singularly unique background; he was a wounded Vietnam veteran, having been blown a hundred feet out of his tank’s turret by a Viet Cong claymore mine. On December 2, 1965, while returning to Saigon along Highway 13 (known by U.S. troops as Thunder Road) near the Iron Triangle for a few days of rest and relaxation, the blast killed his fellow soldiers while George (the only survivor) suffered a spinal injury that left his lower body paralyzed with severe damage to both legs.. After initial treatment in Vietnam, he was flown to the Letterman General Hospital in the Presidio in San Francisco (not clear as to when or where the first amputation occurred, likely in Vietnam.) George spent months in the hospital and then was flown by Air Force transport to Hanscom Field and transferred to the VA Hospital in West Roxbury in August of 1966, where further injuries to his arms and back were treated.

George was awarded the Silver Star for bravery and a Purple Heart for his injuries. In September of 1966, the Stoneham Police Department brought him via ambulance to visit his grandmother, Vera Bauer at her home on 25 Cottage St. A week later, the Selectmen voted to commend the Stoneham Police Department (specifically William McNulty and Robert Powers) for their care and assistance in bringing George to his grandmother’s home. Helping with refreshments was a neighbor, Alice DelRossi (of course.)

That George had served his country and been wounded with such devastating injuries are reasons enough to merit a position as one of Stoneham’s heroic service personnel. But it was the way he went about engaging in Stoneham’s community for the rest of his life that he also deserves to be thought of as a Stoneham hero, an inspiration, and an example of courage and determination.

In November of that same year, George was named as a new member of the V.F.W. continuing his family’s participation in service-related organizations. His maternal grandfather Karl Bauer was a charter member of V.F.W. Post 620, Vera Bauer was president of the Navy Mothers, his father George W. Tucci, Sr. was a longtime member, and his mother Phyllis was in the V.F.W. Auxiliary. Notably, George was the first Vietnam veteran to be named as a member of Post 620.

In April of 1967, Red Cross volunteers visited George at his new family home on Washington St. to present him with a handmade afghan (made by Mrs. Joseph Flynn) in thanks for his service. Grandmother Vera, his wife Edeltraut (Trudy), and their young son, Frank were present. Alice DelRossi helped with refreshments and served as the representative of the Board of Selectmen.

By the last week in September 1967, doctors had determined that George’s remaining leg was threatening his overall health. Accordingly, that leg was amputated at the Veterans Hospital in West Roxbury. This was surely a devastating blow to him and his family but was certainly not something to keep George down.

When news of his condition was published in the Stoneham Press, Stoneham people came to prop up his morale. Principal Roland Nault at Robin Hood School mounted a letter-writing campaign with his grade school students. They pitched in wholeheartedly, making Halloween decorations for his room at the VA, writing many sincere and touching letters, and generally doing their utmost to bring George’s spirits up.

Another letter arrived that further lifted George’s spirits. The administrator of the Veterans Administration, W. J. Driver wrote a formal letter, thanking George for his service and his sacrifice for his country. In the letter, Mr. Driver made it clear that the President of the United States, Lyndon Baines Johnson had been made aware of what had happened to George and expressed his gratitude for George’s service.

George showed his kindness and gratitude by sending a Christmas card to the Press, expressing his thanks for the effort the paper made to publicize his latest operation and hospital stay.

Then in the spring of 1968, the Catholic Daughters of America held a poetry contest complete with readings of the winning poems from the various divisions. Interestingly, Doris Ward, grade 7 at the time but later a graduate of the class of 1973 was one of the winners with a poem simply titled “George Tucci.” Efforts to track down the content of the poem have so far been unsuccessful. Carol A. Surette and Eleanor M. McCluskey were the other winners in that Division.

George joined another prestigious organization when he was named a new member of the Knights of Columbus in May of 1968. At a flag raising hosted by the Elks Club to honor Vietnam veterans on May 5, 1968, George was asked to be the one doing the actual physical act of raising the flag.

Later that year, George was featured in a Stoneham Independent business profile of Joseph Mazzola’s Stoneham Servicecenter 66, a repair garage and gas station located next to Carroll’s Drive-In on Main St. According to Mazzola, George worked the same job and did much of the same work that any able-bodied mechanic would do. Mazzola said “he does a good job of it” and detailed the list of tasks George was able to accomplish, including fill-ups, oil changes, and much of the mechanical work. Although the article was mostly a business promotion, the copy paid particular attention to George’s courage and refusal to give in to his injuries. The article took particular note that George had just bought and moved into a new house at 29 Country Club Road.

Then, exactly one year later, another profile appeared in the Independent (strictly business this time) announcing the employment of Joe Mazzola, Jr. to the Servicecenter. Although not mentioned in the copy, George was nonetheless front and center for the accompanying photo in his wheelchair. To this observer, this signified that George’s work ethic was exemplary. He was just not one to sit around and feel sorry for himself. Many others would have given in to helplessness and despair but not George. He was relentless in his pursuit of a meaningful life.

By 1972, George had become confident enough to open his own service center in Wakefield on the corner of West Water St. and Main St. He and his father, George W. Tucci, Sr. were partners in this venture. He also would drive one day a month to the VA hospital where he had stayed just a few years before. There, he would meet with other veterans and spend time with them talking and counseling them on a variety of issues. He was making himself available in the most direct way to help others.

As the ‘70s progressed, George took on more community activities; he became a Division Director of Stoneham Pee Wee Hockey, conducting referee clinics, scheduling games, and handing out hockey equipment as the Vice President in charge of activities.

In April of 1984, George took on the responsibility of the Assistant Treasurer for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial helping generate and keep track of the funds appropriated for the construction of this important memorial to the history of the town. Later that year, during the public dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial monument, George was selected by the committee to perform the important job of raising the POW flag.

In 1997, at the Wakefield Fourth of July parade, George was asked to ride on the Vietnam Moving Wall float and the float won the best Theme Prize for representing the veterans of the Vietnam War. George was especially proud to ride with Donna Chaloux who served in the US Army Nurse Corps in 1970-71. This was the first time she had been publicly recognized as a Vietnam veteran.

Not one to rest on his laurels, George served as the Second Division Grand Marshal in the Parade 2000 which included the Vietnam Veterans of America, the Canadian Vietnam Veterans, and the Vietnamese Color Guard.

George Tucci should be remembered and revered as a veteran who never relented from pursuing a fully realized life. He was a hero many times over. He served his country as a soldier in Vietnam, served the town of Stoneham as a private citizen, and served his family as a husband and father. In spite of the debilitating injuries from his Vietnam service, George fully entered the workforce, started a family, owned and operated a business, and contributed to the Stoneham community in a wide variety of activities. George’s health began to decline and he passed away on January 21, 2008, after a particularly difficult last three years. He is buried in Lindenwood Cemetery in Stoneham.