Joseph F. De Crosta was born on August 14, 1945, to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph De Crosta, in Paterson. He lived in Fair Lawn with his family before they settled in Franklin Lakes, NJ. His home of record is Franklin Lakes. He was the oldest of five children. Joseph graduated from St. Ann’s Parochial School and Don Bosco Technical High School in Paterson, NJ. After the service, he planned to attend Cooper Union to study architecture.
He served in the US Army and attained the rank of Specialist 4 (SP4). De Crosta was shipped to Vietnam in June 1967 and was stationed with the 175th Engineer Corps, 196th Infantry.
De Crosta was killed in action on January 19, 1968, when the truck in which he was riding went off the road and into a rice paddy, overturning and bursting into flames.
Sources: Various websites, newspaper clippings and NJVVMF.
12/17/2024