Frank Paul Sicari Jr.

Uncle Frank was born in WVA and moved to Erie as a toddler. He graduated at East High and enlisted in the Army at 17. He trained to be a paratrooper and fought in the Korean and Vietnam wars. When asked what made him want to jump out of a plane, Uncle Frank said he didn't think it through but that he got paid extra for it. He made around 75 jumps (few of them landed a stay in the hospital). Uncle Frank retired in 1976 and his valor earned 11 medals which included a purple heart (took a bullet in the stomach).

I didn't get to know Uncle Frank until the last three years of his life. He lived in Germany after retiring from the Army. When his wife died, he came back to Erie in 2022. Uncle Frank was a man of few words but he was well-liked by the staff and peers at his retirement home. He lit up the room with his smile and said hello to everyone. When you ask him how he is doing, his response was always, "fair to middling," even with his aches and pains.

Uncle Frank did not think of himself as a hero. When people thanked him for his service, he was always humble saying he was just doing his job. This is the very reason why Uncle Frank is a HERO to me ... risking his life and helping others without expecting anything in return!