JOE SAITTA

Post 1503 Interview Project
Getting to know: Joe Saitta

VFW Connections

Joe has been a member of Post 1503 for about 10 years. His first experience with Post 1503 was driving his mother-in-law to bingo. His sister-in-law also worked in the canteen as a waitress. From there, Papa Six invited him to meet everyone at the canteen and encouraged him to join as a member. (Joe was partially persuaded by seeing a band perform at the canteen!) Although he was still on the road with his own band during this time, Joe always popped in for a visit when he was in town.

 

After meeting Frasier, he was asked to be a co-chair for the entertainment committee. Joe served as the House Committee Chairman for three years to book the bands enjoyed at the post, as he knew many of these groups from his career in the music industry. If you’re lucky to be at the post on the right night, you’ll be able to see Joe singing at karaoke or even sitting in with the bands for a performance.

 

 
Joe’s History

Joe was born in Washington DC, six blocks from the Capitol. He moved to Anacostia and attended the local high school. When he was 16 years old, he formed a band called the D.C. Magnatones as an R&B singer. Their record was a hit in England and featured "Does She Love Me” on the A side and "Not Room for Two” on the B side. The group enjoyed playing shows around the DC area.

 

 
Military History

 

At the age of 18, Joe received a letter from a military recruiting office. He went to Baltimore and raised his hand to enlist in the Army. Before he realized what was happening—and without his family knowing—they had him on a bus headed for basic training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Afterward, he traveled to Fort Sam Houston for medical school and was assigned as a combat medic to the 101st Airborne Division. Joe describes the quick shifts from his high school graduation to his band to his deployment to Vietnam as a "blur.”

 

For the first 9 ½ months as an infantry medic, he was in the jungles of Vietnam. After this, Joe served as the "right-hand man” to the battalion doctor. When they were both brought back to the rear, Joe became the doctor’s driver for various medical calls. On January 26, 1969, during a search and clear mission, his platoon "came under intense enemy automatic weapons fire.” Although it was incredibly dangerous, Joe made his way through the gunfire to a wounded man to provide first aid. After stabilizing the first soldier, he located a second who was in need of medical attention, using his own body as a shield while he cared for him. He was able to carry the man to safety for a medical evacuation. For his heroic actions, Joe was awarded the Army Commendation Medal with "V” device.

 

While they were transitioning to the A Shau Valley, Joe volunteered to help build some of the new medical bunkers before he planned to head out on his R&R, as he had saved up all his leave time for the very end of his deployment. However, on June 9, 1969—just days before he was set to leave on R&R—they were hit. His award paperwork reads, "The fire base came under an intense mortar attack. Specialist Saitta was in the aid station when he received word that an allied unit had received injuries from a direct hit on a bunker.” He quickly gathered first aid supplies and rushed to bring the wounded back to the aid station, moving across the fire base several times. Although he was injured by a mortar round, he provided himself with first aid and continued to rescue other wounded soldiers, refusing medical evacuation until all others were treated. The next morning, when he was the last soldier requiring medical care, he finally consented to his own evacuation. He was proud to be "able to get some guys home for Thanksgiving.” Joe was awarded the Silver Star "for gallantry in action in the Republic of Vietnam” and the Purple Heart.

 

Due to his injuries from the attack, he was evacuated to a hospital in Japan. After being flown back to the United States, Joe remembers an old ambulance and stretcher meeting him at Andrews Air Force Base. They had just finished construction on I-495 and he couldn’t believe he was back home, feeling it was "like a movie.” He was able to make a good recovery at Fort Meade and could walk with the assistance of a cane.

 

 
Post-Military Life
 

 

As Joe’s previous band members had formed another group in his absence, he was able to join the new group: The 2nd Coming. They traveled along the whole East Coast with Joe as their singer in this show band, playing major nightclubs and resorts, like the Hunter Mountain Ski Resort and Atlantic City. The group was so talented that they were invited to be the opening act for shows like the Four Tops, Archie Bell and the Drells, and Darryl Hall & John Oates. You can still see their performances on YouTube if you look up his name. Joe toured around the country with 2nd Coming for almost 40 years.

 

Eventually, he got into the auto business and became a car salesman for about 15 years. He was later promoted to GM for three local-area car dealerships in Warrington and Woodbridge.

 

During this time, Joe learned he had choroidal melanoma, a form of ocular cancer, and his left eye had to be removed. Unfortunately, the cancerous cells also reached his bloodstream and Joe was eventually diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer. He was immediately placed on steroids and underwent life-saving cancer treatments.

 

Although the medical care was grueling, Joe learned about a studio group called Cancer Can Rock, an organization devoted to recording performing artists with cancer for posterity. He wrote and arranged a song called Mr. "Used to Be” to describe his experiences, available on YouTube. Joe hopes to have this song played on the radio.

 

Although he has some continuing medical challenges, Joe is on the mend now with intensive physical therapy. He also credits his incredible recovery and care to Sarah, his loving wife. The two of them are in the process of moving to Florida. He looks forward to playing golf, swimming in his pool, and riding his Honda 750 motorcycle. He shares he is "working on being Joe again” and "looking forward to living life!”

 
 

Did You Know?
  • As a young child, Joe started singing in the choir at St. Peter’s and his love of music grew from there.
  • The D.C. Magnatones were featured in Jerry Osbourne’s 1998 book The Money Records: the 1000 Most Valuable Records, where their record was named as #765.
  • The Maryland Entertainment Hall of Fame recognized both Joe (as an individual) and 2nd Coming (as a group) as outstanding local artists.
  • Joe owned the 2nd Coming nightclub in Greenbelt, MD, and called it the "most fun I ever had with $100,000.” The location saw many bands play for a packed bar scene, all while Joe was on tour with his own band.
  • Joe and his wife, Sarah, have been married for 37 years. He calls her "the best of the best of the best.” They share three children, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.