|
Joseph Thomas Palastra Jr.,
known to friends as Joe, was born in Portsmouth, NH on November 10,
1931. Joe was raised in a military family. His father, Joseph
Palastra Sr., was an Infantry soldier in World War I, a submariner
during World War II, and a serviceman in the Navy until retirement.
Joe lived in Hawaii during his high school years and attended St.
Louis Boys Academy, where he graduated with honors. During high
school, Joe began his military career in the Navy Reserve. He was
assigned to a submarine that patrolled the islands, and he slept
between two torpedo racks while on weekend patrols. In his typical
manner of always having an alternate plan, he applied for
appointments to both the U.S. Military and Naval Academies, and he
was accepted to both. He chose West Point without hesitation because
he wanted to be a soldier.
Joe entered West Point with the Class of 1954. He mastered academics
all four years, always finding time to help his classmates, and
graduated in the upper part of his class.
The academic tranquility was soon broken when he was sent to Vietnam
only six months after Diem Bien Phu fell in 1954. Supervised by the
CIA, he organized and operated the Commando Training Center at Phu
Xuong as a second lieutenant.
After attending the Advanced Infantry Officer Course at Fort
Benning, GA, Joe volunteered to return to Vietnam in 1964 to command
the 145th and 52nd Aviation Battalions in support of MAC/V Special
Forces advisors and Republic of Vietnam Forces. He was there when
the North Vietnamese attacked, inflicting more than 100 casualties.
In
1965, Joe headed to Fort Leavenworth, KS to attend the Command and
General Staff College. After graduation Joe returned to Vietnam to
command B Company, 4th Aviation Battalion and subsequently 1st
Battalion, 12th Infantry in the Vietnam Highlands. While supporting
Ranger and CIDG battalions throughout the region of the Central
Highlands before U.S. forces arrived, Joe gained experience that
would serve him and the Army significantly in later years.
Upon returning to the United States, Joe attended the Air War
College and Auburn University, from which he earned an MBA. Next up
was duty as a war plans officer in the Office of Deputy Chief of
Staff for Military Operations in the Pentagon, then as a force
structure analyst in the Office of the Chief of Staff.
As
his career advanced, he served in numerous command positions: 3rd
Brigade, 101st Airborne Division; 5th Infantry Division at Fort
Polk, LA; I Corps, and Fort Lewis, WA. For his final command,
General Palastra was selected to be Commander in Chief of U.S.
Forces Command stationed at Fort McPherson, GA in charge of 18
Divisions, 275,000 active duty soldiers and another 350,00 in U.S.
Army Reserve Units. He would also be responsible for training and
mobilizing 430,000 National Guard members.
Joe served in several notable senior staff positions: Chief of
Staff, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea; Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff,
United States Pacific Command, Hawaii; Deputy Director for
Estimates, Defense Intelligence Agency; and Military Assistant to
the Deputy Secretary of Defense.
Joe’s service was characterized by fully taking charge when placed
in command. He did not condone low standards of discipline or poor
performance of duty. Joe realized that soldiers actually prefer to
be part of well-disciplined and accomplished unit led by officers of
integrity who set high standards and adhered to these standards.
As
validation of Joe’s superb performance of these challenging
assignments, not only did he advance to achieve four-star rank, but
he also received numerous personal decorations and awards. He was
the recipient of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal with Oak
Leaf Cluster, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star,
the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device and two
Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Air Medal with seven Oak Leaf Clusters.
As
Joe moved successfully through his increasingly challenging
assignments, he also thrived in his personal life. He met and
married Eleanor Anne Rich in Fort Campbell, KY in 1958. They had
five children: Catherine, Margaret, Elizabeth, Joseph Thomas III,
and Anne Marie. Joe balanced family and career with the help of his
wife and a deep faith in God.
Joe and Anne retired to a farm in southern Missouri, where they
spent 25 happy years. The daily assignments included cutting hay,
playing with grandkids, and rescuing abandoned pets.
Still stately appearing, Joe passed quietly on March 3, 2015 in
Highlandville, MO, where he was known simply as Joe. Per his wishes,
there were no funeral services. This preference is telling of a man
who spent his life putting God, country, family, and the soldiers he
commanded before himself. Few local people were aware that their
friend Joe, humble farmer in their midst, was a four-star general
who once commanded all U.S. Army personnel in the continental United
States.
A
rare honor for a general officer, Joe was later summoned to Fort
Benning, GA to be inducted into the Army Ranger Hall of Fame. The
induction stressed “his selfless devotion and commitment to the
joint military community and the nation as he led the way during his
35 year career as a Ranger Qualified leader.”
—
Daughter and Classmate |
