Local veteran remembered

Vietnam War hero dies in accident at home

By FRITZ MAYER

LIBERTY, NY — As president of chapter four of the Rolling Thunder organization, Vincent Scotti came to be known and loved by a lot of veterans and their families. More than 100 of them came to honor his memory at a service at the Sullivan County Veteran’s Cemetery on Sunset Lake Road in Liberty.

According to New York State Police, Scotti was killed at his home on Perry Pond Road in Tusten on July 29, as he was cutting wood to heat his home this winter. Police said a 40-foot dead tree fell on him.

At the funeral, several people commented that his death was especially painful because he had made it through fierce combat in Vietnam, only to then meet this untimely end.

For his service in Vietnam, Scotti won a Silver Star, a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. Scotti’s friend Fred Pagliaroni, of Youngsville, said that Scotti, like many veterans of that war, bore a special burden because they were offered no respect by the government or the citizens of the country upon returning home, and were often called offensive names. He said, “It is an injustice that can never be made right.”

One of the ways Scotti responded to his Vietnam experience was to become heavily involved in veterans’ issues. He worked tirelessly for Rolling Thunder, and its mission to publicize the issues of prisoners of war and those missing in action, and to help American veterans from all wars.

According to Eric Nystrom, the assistant director of the Sullivan County Veterans Service Agency, Scotti was always ready to lend a hand. In a phone interview, Nystrom said he asked Scotti for help in preparing for the first annual veterans barbeque on Armed Forces Day in May 2007. Scotti and Rolling Thunder got involved and cooked all of the meals.

Later, at the Memorial Day activities this year, Scotti and others from Rolling Thunder staffed wheelchairs to ensure that those who were unable to walk could make it up the steep hill at the cemetery to be part of the event.

At the burial service, Scotti’s wife and daughter fought back tears as Pagliaroni remembered his friend. He told the crowd how three years ago during deer season, Scotti made a decision about hunting. After telling Pagliaroni a story about a battle in Vietnam in which his best friend died, Scotti said, “I’ll never again kill anything that’s not going to do me harm.” After that, Scotti would go hunting with his friend; he would bring his rifle, but he wouldn’t bring any bullets.

Scotti was 57 years old.