Joe Giordano graduated from Bradford High School in June 1971.

“At that period in time, Bradford didn’t have much to offer a young kid just out of high school,” he said, “so I entered the U.S. Navy in January of 1972.”

He went to boot camp in Orlando, Fla. After boot camp, he was rated E1 rank, and went to A school for a few months in Lakehurst, N.J., for aviation fuels.

“From there I was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Constellation CVA 64 stationed at San Diego, California,” Giordano said. “In January of 1973 we deployed to Vietnam for 9 months. I worked on the flight deck fueling jet aircraft and performing maintenance/repairs on fueling stations.

“It was quite an experience being under a plane turned up for launch, topping her off with fuel in the middle of the night and watching them catapult off the ship in the Tonkin Gulf knowing they’re going into combat and praying they made it back safe,” he recounted.

In the early spring of 1974, the ship went to Vietnam for six months. Giordano had worked his way up to the rank of E4. He was sent to the Master at Arms Division — the military police, with a temporary assignment lasting six months. Eventually he was promoted to the rank of E5.

“The duty was so good and so interesting I stayed until my discharge,” Giordano said. “During my two cruises we made stops in Pearl Harbor, Guam, Subic Bay (Philippines) Japan and Singapore.”

During his last year, 1975, the ship was sent to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Washington state for a major overhaul.

“I was discharged from the Navy while the ship was in drydocks, November 1975. Upon my discharge I was awarded an Honorable Discharge, the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Bronze Stars and Good Conduct Service Medal,” he said.

“Ironically after several years of being out of the Navy, I went back to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and spent around 28 years there as a civilian working on many US war ships, both submarine and surface including my old ship the USS Constellation — ‘Connie.’”

His last assignment in the shipyard was five years as supervisor for the Nuclear Pure Water Plant.

“I earned many awards along the way,” Giordano said. “I honorably retired in April of 2014.”

He added that he’s very proud of his military family — his grandfather served in World War I, his father in World War II along with many uncles, and he and his brother served in Vietnam.