First Name: Joseph
Last Name: Fitzpatrick
Middle Initial: D
Date of Birth: 02/26/1948
Sex: Male
Martial Status: Married
Number of Children: Yes
Home Town: Huntington Beach, CA
Education Completed: Not Sure
Other Occupations:
Branch of Service: Army
Highest Rank: TSGT
Serial Number: N/A
Platoon: N/A
Age at Start of Service: Over 21
Years of Service: Not Sure
Combat Veteran: Yes
Time in Combat: Not Sure
Place of Combat: N/A
Awards:
Date of Suicide: 08/1978
Suicide Method: Gunshot to head
Veteran’s Story: My dad took his life when I was three years old, my sister was only six. I never had a chance to get to know my father and for many years it seemed as if my family was the only one that had to deal with this kind of sadness. From the stories that I’ve heard about my father it sounds as if we was a changed man after the war, quiet and reserved. It does’t sound like he spoke much about his life let alone the war. He took his life when he was only thirty years old and his life was only beginning with a family that loved him so very much. I can’t imagine the feelings of fear and anguish that my dad was feeling the moments before he pulled the trigger, all we can do now is mourn his loss and revere his memory.
Submitted By: Ian Fitzpatrick
Relationship to Veteran: Child
