MarisolFlores

ReachingBeyondExpectations

TheUnexpectedTriumphofaWWIIRadioGunner

Asaskinny17yearold,JosephNevesenlistedintheMilitary.Hewasinamovietheaterwhen
theU.S.announcedtheywereenteringthewar.Heandnineofhisfriendswhohadneverseen
theoceanfromwesternMassachusetts,allaskedtheirparentstojointheMilitary.Asasingle
hardworkingparent,JoesfatherwasopposedtotheideaofhisonlysonjoiningtheMilitarybut
hereluctantlygaveinandJoejoinedup.Now,74yearslater,Joereflects,LittledidIrealize
thatitwasnotapicnic.

JoewasborninNewYorkin1927.HisparentscamefromLisbonandsettledinasmalltownin
Massachusetts.Joehadfacedhardshipsinhisearlylife.Attheageofeighthelosthismother.
HisfatherraisedhimthroughtheGreatDepression,Joerecallstimeshewenttwotothreedays
withouteating.Joesfather,asimpleman,onlywenttoschooluntilthefourthgrade.

Inhighschool,Joewasntanathlete,hedidntgetthebestgrades,andwasthrownoutof
almostallhisclasses.TheonlyclassesthatwouldlethiminwhereArtclass,PhysicalEd,and
freeperiod.Hewasatroublemakerandhadnoonetoguidehim.Hisfatherworked14hoursa
day.Joewantedtobeliked,sohemadeaclownoutofhimselfatschool.

IquitschoolandjoinedtheNavyandthatiswhymyfathersignedthepapers:becausethere
wasnofutureformetostayinhighschoolthewayIwasgoing.

JoewasintheNavalAirForce,butthelongesthewasonashipwasfiveandahalfmonths.He
wasaradiogunneronadivebomber.Joedidntseethekindofactionthatmostmendid,but
thefirsttimehetookoffofthecarrierandcameback,hecriedbecausehedidntexpectittobe
thewayitwas.Joedidntgointothedetailsofhisemotionalresponsetohisfirstmission,but
waseagertodelveintohispersonalphilosophy.

Nomatterhowyourgradesareorwhatpeoplethinkaboutyou,dowhatyouwanttodoand
youcanaccomplishit.

Onekeymomentinparticularkickstartedhiscareerinbecominganengineerafterhegotback
fromwar.AfterJoegotbackheworkedinasmellyandoilymachineshop.Everymorninghe
wouldcomeincomplaining.Oneday,acoworkertoldhim,Joe,youcomeinherecomplaining,
whydon'tyoudosomethingaboutit?Gobacktohighschoolandgetyourdiploma.Justdo
somethingaboutit.SoJoedid.

Iraisedthreekids,worked10hoursadayandwenttonightschoolfournightsaweek.I
graduatedaspresidentofmyclasswitha96.3averageandfinishedtwoyearsinone.

Afterfinishinghighschool,Joestartedtotakecollegecoursesatnightandthatswhenthey
neededaPortuguesespeakingengineertoescorttheVicePresidentandChiefofNaval
OperationsofPortugalontwoNavywarships.Joesmiledasheremarked,Iwasthechosen
one."

PeopletoldJoehewouldneveramounttoanything,butintheend,heoutperformedeveryone
inhishighschool.Hemetandnegotiatedwithfourpresidents,talkedtothreeministersand
manychiefsofnavaloperationsincludingthoseofTurkey,Portugal,Brazil,andArgentina.
Despitehavingmetsomanypowerfulfigures,Joeremainshumbleaboutwhoisreallyimportant
inhislife.

Iwasaskedonetime,Joeyouvemetsomanyimportantpeopleandyouvetraveledalot,
whosthemostimportantpersonyouvemet?Thatwaseasyitwasmyfather,nobodyelse,it
wasmyfather.Afourthgradeeducation,buthekneweverything,hewasverysmart.

71yearsago,JoeNeveswalkedoutofamovietheaterinMassachusettsandchangedhislife
forever.Now,Joesitsacrossfrommeandofferssomefinalwordsofwisdom.Nevertalkabout
yourfriendsoranyonenomatterwhattheydidtoyou.Youneverknowwhatorwhotheywill
becomeinthefuture.

Joesliferemindsusthatalthoughwemaydoubtthosearoundus,ortheymaydoubtus,we
canneverknowwheresomeone'sfuturewilltakethem.Joeislivingproofthatwhatwedowith
ourlivesismoreimportantthanotherpeople'sexpectationsforus.