Lt. Col. (Ret.) Peter D. Sacco

Lt. Col. (ret.) Peter Dominic Sacco received his final Permanent Change of Station orders on Tuesday, March 21, 2017, and is finally reunited with Pauline, his beloved wife of 63 years, who preceded him in death nine years ago. He was born October 1, 1920, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to Italian immigrants Rosario and Calogera (Piscitello) Sacco. He attended Kenosha High School, but he dropped out in his junior year. He then worked in the Civilian Conservation Corps, planting trees. Next, he worked in his brother Louie’s shoe repair shop and subsequently opened his own business. He became involved in boxing, and with Louie as his trainer, he twice won Golden Gloves awards in the Bantam Weight Division. In 1942, he received his GED and began his career in the military. He married Pauline Welter on April 21, 1945, in Thomasville, Georgia. They had a daughter and two sons. He was involved with his sons in Scouting and coaching Little League baseball. He was a Fourth Degree Knight in the Knights of Columbus. Lt. Col. Sacco served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. He entered the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1943 as a cadet in Pilot Training Class 44A in Garden City, Kansas. Throughout his career, he served his country with honor and distinction, with domestic duty stations in Kansas, Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, Georgia and Missouri, and overseas in Germany, Korea, Japan and Vietnam, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1970 in Orlando after 27 years of service. During his flying career, he had the opportunity and good fortune to fly and instruct in many types of aircraft, including trainers AT6, AT11, AT17, BT13, PT19, T29; cargo aircraft C45, C46, C47, C54, KC97; bombers B17, B25, B47; and fighters P40 Warhawk, P47 Thunderbolt and the P51 Mustang. In all, he flew 19 different aircraft and accumulated nearly 8,000 hours of flying time. While serving in Korea in 1953-54, then-Capt. Sacco was assigned to the United Nations Command Repatriation Group charged with the peaceful exchange of prisoners of war. In 1963, the Yokota Air Force Base (Japan) Base Supply won the Daedalian Supply Effectiveness Award, the U.S. Air Force’s highest honor for outstanding support of mission aircraft. Then-Maj. Sacco, as Base Supply Officer, received the trophy. While serving in Vietnam in 1968, then-Maj. Sacco received the Bronze Star for meritorious service. In 1970, as base commander of Orlando Air Force Base, Lt. Col. Sacco served his last official duty: the turnover of Orlando Air Force Base to the U.S. Navy. After retiring, he worked for the Orange County Motor Pool Department and then for the Airport Authority during the construction of the Orlando International Airport. He is preceded in death by his wife, Pauline Charlotte (Welter), his parents, Rosario and Calogera (Piscitello) Sacco, Kenosha, his brothers Michael Sacco, Louie Sacco, his sister, Antoinette Torcivia, all of Kenosha, his brother Frank Sacco, Albuquerque , N.M., and his grandson Peter James Sacco, Gilbert, Arizona. He is survived by his daughter, Patricia (Joseph) Perfito, Orlando, Florida, and sons Peter (Barbara) Sacco, Gilbert, Arizona, and Phillip (Carol) Sacco, Marietta, Georgia. Also surviving are four grandchildren: Patricia Lynn (Mike) Moore, Queen Creek, Arizona, James (Becky) MacDonald, Joseph Perfito and Philip (Sarah), Perfito, all of Orlando; and eight great-grandchildren: Colby (Greg) Lindblom, Wesley (Jodianne) Moore, Hayden (Kylee) Moore and Emma Moore, all of Queen Creek, and Regan and Liam MacDonald, Josephine and Giovanna Perfito, Orlando; and four great-great-grandchildren: Lainey, Ryder and Evelyn Lindblom and Anniston Moore, Queen Creek. Visitation will be at A COMMUNITY FUNERAL HOME, 910 W Michigan St, Orlando FL 32805 on Monday, March 27, from 5 to 8 p.m., with a prayer service at 7 p.m. The Mass of Christian Burial will be at St. James Cathedral, Tuesday, March 28, at 10 a.m. He will be interred in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia at a time to be determined. In lieu of flowers, please send a donation in his name to the Wounded Warrior Project at support.woundedwarriorproject.org.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Peter D. Sacco

October 1, 1920 - March 21, 2017