Nearly five years ago, the Office of Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Hartford was considering closing St. Mary-St. Michael School in Derby. It has been well-documented that a group of parents stepped up and produced a financial plan which ultimately kept the school open.
An important part of that financial plan was to reach out to our alumni and conduct an Annual Appeal.
Our first attempt at an Alumni Appeal was a success but there was one letter that touched many of us. I believe that it is fitting to share the story today...on Veteran's Day.
The check box next to the name in the database was clearly
marked deceased. As such, an alumni
solicitation letter should have never been sent to the address we had listed. Two weeks into our first attempt at an Alumni Annual Appeal campaign,
our principal (Linda Coppola) was separating the letters that contained checks
from those that were returned because of bad addresses. She noticed an envelope with a North Carolina return address, extracted the letter, and read:
Dear Principal
Coppola,
I am writing you to
tell you that I have received a mailing from your school but I believe you
have me mistaken for another individual.
I did not attend St.
Mary-St. Michael School. I believe you
are likely mistaking me for a different Joseph Carinci who once resided in
Derby. I only know of this because I
once came upon his name while visiting Washington DC.
Unfortunately, where I
came upon his name was while visiting the Vietnam War Memorial Wall. I did find some interest however in him since
he was of the same namesake. I did some
research and found that he died in Vietnam while sustaining injuries while
serving our country.
I never found a
relationship between us; however I am sure that he must have been of strong
character and that likely came from a strong structure in life that he had
acquired while attending your school. He
was about six years older than me and will keep him and his family in my
prayers as his passing in service to our country must have been a terrible
loss. I have enclosed a document I found
on the web referencing his service and death.
Hopefully, this will bring some closure to your record of him.
I have also enclosed a
small check of donation to your school in honor of him and his service. May he rest in peace and be remembered as his
life was given on behalf of others in this country who continue to enjoy
freedom that men like him have afforded us.
Yours in prayer,
Joseph A. Carinci
Joseph Carinci was a 1965 graduate of St. Mary's School in Derby. He was one of only 24 dog handlers in Vietnam and had been injured several times before a final severe injury. He was wounded on August 25, 1970 by shrapnel from a "pressure device mine" in Quang Nam Province, RVN. He was hospitalized, transferred to Camp Butler, Okinawa, and from there to the Saint Albans Naval Hospital in New York. Joe died of pneumonia on December 30, 1970. He is buried in Mount St. Peter's Cemetery in Derby.
Each year as I prepare the Annual Appeal for St. Mary-St. Michael School, I reflect on our friend in North Carolina and on the young man who attended our school so long ago.
Thank you to our Veterans and to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice.
I should also take the time to thank the members of my family who served.
My dad, Arthur C. Gerckens, Jr. US Navy
My brother, David J. Gerckens US Marine Corps
My brother, Kevin A. Gerckens US Marine Corps
My cousin, Michael McCall US Navy
My father-in-law, Pasquale Altieri US Marine Corps
