The original family name was YAKOWSKI, but my father dropped the "W" during his time in the Army. My branch of the family uses the shortened version of our last name. That being said, my father, Joseph Yakoski, served in the Army during World War II as a truck mechanic. He served in Germany and France during hostilities there. My uncle Henry Yakowski served in the Navy as a seaman. My uncle Francis Yakowski served in the Marines and was in Korea during its hostilities. I, Joseph Yakoski Jr., served in the Navy as an aircraft electrician, becoming an AE-1. I served four years in the regular Navy and four years in the Naval Reserve. I traveled the world on an aircraft carrier and have Vietnam service to my credit. My duty stations were NAF Andrews, Washington, D.C., Attack Squadron 85 (VA-85) from Virginia Beach, Va., and the West Coast ship USS Constellation CVA-64. My reserve duty allowed me to serve with Patrol Squadron 64 (VP-64) Willow Grove, Pa., which flew the P-3 Orion Submarine Hunter aircraft.
My son John Yakoski served in the Army National Guard. My daughter Jennifer Salak served in the Navy as a CT. Jennifer is currently employed by the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Our family is proud to have served in the United States military forces here and abroad.