When U.S. Army veteran Joseph Bossi passed away, his daughter Jessica Bossi knew she had to have him buried in a national military cemetery. “Nothing else made sense,” she said. “It never occurred to him that his service would have merited burial in Arlington, so I'm incredibly proud to have done that for him.”
At Bossi’s funeral service on April 14, 2025, U.S. Army Chaplain (Capt.) Timothy Stokes told Jessica and her sister, Joanna Bossi, “His time in uniform is what has brought him to this hallowed ground, but the love that he shared with you is what has brought you here today.”
Spec. 5th Class Bossi served two tours in Vietnam as a crew chief and door gunner for a HU-1 Huey helicopter. According to Chaplain Stokes, at the time, “the lifespan of a door gunner was just two weeks on average.” Bossi flew support missions during the Battle of Hamburger Hill in May 1969—a particularly bloody, two-week battle between North Vietnamese forces and the 101st Airborne Division. He survived after enemy fire shot down his helicopter, but he and his crew remained on the hill for two days until they were able to get out.
Bossi’s daughters shared recollections of their father’s life and service. Joseph Bossi immigrated to the United States from Trieste, Italy. He served his first tour in Vietnam after the U.S. Army drafted him in 1967. He then left the Army, but enlisted in 1970 and served a second tour, rising to the rank of specialist fifth class and earning the Air Medal with 32 Oak Leaf Clusters, among other decorations. “He voluntarily went back after something that was so difficult the first time,” Jessica said. “I think that really shows his character.” In 1973, after serving his two tours, Bossi became a U.S. citizen.
“His time in Vietnam was his most defining moment,” Jessica added. “He was so incredibly proud of his service.” Joanna agreed: “He did everything based on principle, like the idea that you serve because that's the right thing to do.”
Bossi’s daughters also recalled how their father embodied pride in his service throughout his lifetime. “He wore a U.S. Army Aviation ring and a piece of chain from his Huey around his wrist,” Jessica said. “He also wore a chain pendant necklace of St. Michael that his mother had given him before he went to Vietnam for his first tour,” Joanna remembered.
Chaplain Stokes concluded by telling Bossi’s daughters, “When we look back at his life, we can honestly say, ‘what an amazing life, what an amazing story, what an amazing legacy he left with his children.’”
