 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Can't slow down
By JACKIE RIPLEY, Times Staff Writer
TOWN 'N COUNTRY -- Joe Vetrano honed his skills as an organizer in the military. In Vietnam, he headed the U.S. Army's 231st transport company. He organized the movement of soldiers into and out of the area of their operations, with no loss of life. "I brought back the entire unit, 196 men," said Vetrano with no small amount of pride. "Seventy percent were from St. Pete, the rest from Tampa Bay." He returned to Tampa after retiring from the Army as a major in 1986. He moved into his Town 'N Country home near Webb Road, along with his wife, Margaret, who has since passed away, and their four children. Today, at 64, Vetrano shares that home with his wife of two years, Donna Vetrano, 62. Still a skilled organizer, he has put together everything from speed hump meetings to book sales. "We need to know who to go to, who to call," he said. "I call my county commissioner regularly." Evidence of the Vetranos blended family can be seen in a hallway lined with photos of their children and grandchildren. "We had 37 people for Christmas and 300 gifts," Donna Vetrano said. "Children, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, cousins. It was a zoo." Donna Vetrano joins Joe in many of his civic activities, clocking about as many hours as she did when she sold real estate. "We keep saying we're retired, remember?" she said. "But before we do anything Joe has to check his schedule, I have to check mine." Not even a physical ailment to the central nervous system has slowed Vetrano. He was afflicted with it about five years ago and in that time he has seen its effects on his ability to walk go from mild to severe. "I've had a cane for a while but sometimes use two crutches to get around," Vetrano said. Doctors are unsure of the cause of his illness. However, exposure to Agent Orange while in Vietnam is a suspected culprit, Vetrano said. As a member of at least five civic organizations, including the Town 'N Country Alliance and Town 'N Country Park Homeowners Civic Association, Joe Vetrano has contributed to many of the positive changes that have occurred over the years in Town 'N Country. And while he's concerned that a lot of people are apathetic, he applauds "the many unsung heros people don't know about." "There are lot of people each doing a little bit," finished Donna Vetrano. "So that it all adds up." -Jackie Ripley can be reached at (813) 269-5308 or ripley@sptimes.com.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
From the Times | ||||||||||||||||||||||
