50 years later, Marine honored for service
GLENOLDEN » The military support organizations A Hero’s Welcome and Warriors’ Watch Riders rallied to honor local Vietnam veteran Joe Tier, 50 years after his service as a Marine.
Two dozen motorcycles, fire trucks from Glenolden, Folcroft and Norwood and neighbors turned out to wish Tier well during the brief ceremony in front of his home Sunday. Saturday was his birthday.
“Joe served two tours in Vietnam on the USS Boston from May 8, 1967, through Sept. 16, 1969,” wrote his wife Jane in a letter to A Hero’s Welcome. His jobs included loading 5- and 8-inch ammunition that was fired from guns on the ship up to 5 miles from land.
He was awarded the National Defense Medal, Vietnam Service Metal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Sharpshooter Badge M-14, Good Conduct Medal and the Proof Director Small Arms award.
Chris Bush, chaplain of the General Smedley D. Butler Detachment 741 of the Marine Corps League, presented Tier with his mounted service medals.
Ride leaders from Warriors’ Watch Riders and A Hero’s Welcome presented Tier with a number of mementos to honor his service including a challenge coin and warrior beads.
“It was surprising,” said Tier, when asked how he felt about the visit. “It was a touching ceremony.”
“He’s the hardest-working person I know,” said Tier’s son Michael. “He’s always made me proud. He didn’t want to talk about his service much growing up. I was surprised at all the medals. He was not one to boast.”
Following the war Tier used the GI Bill to graduate from Temple University while he worked full time, said his son. He worked as an accountant for General Electric and owned his own moving and home-repair business. He retired a few years ago.
His wife Jane wrote that Tier has become isolated due to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after his daughter from his first marriage was killed by a drunk driver in 2004. She is hoping to get Tier a Therapy Dog to aid his recovery.