American Legion Post 60, located in the quiet town of Pulaski, Tenn., certainly has a lot going on these days! One of the most important community service projects it has taken on lately is the Master Sgt. John D. Minatra Scholarship for high school seniors in the county. The genesis of this project began when the US Army Ranger Association approached the post leadership a few years ago. The Rangers named their base after MSG Minatra and wanted to have a “dancing partner” for a recently created scholarship. Everyone felt that a connection to the post would increase the outreach and award. MSG Minatra was the first Vietnam veteran to become a member of Post 60. The post leadership jumped at the chance. Besides the natural fit with Ranger Minatra’s membership in Post 60, many members of the Tennessee Ranger Base belong to various American Legion posts.
Master Sgt. John D. Minatra was born in Giles County, Tennessee, in 1935. He attended Campbellsville High School, where he was a star football player. Minatra voluntarily enlisted in the Army in 1954, where he completed his education and began a career which lasted 20+ years, becoming one of the most decorated soldiers from the state of Tennessee to serve in Vietnam, and one of the most decorated soldiers in Giles County history. He served honorably with the 101st Airborne Division with the elite soldiers of the U.S. Army Rangers as well as service in Korea, France and Germany. During the Vietnam War, he volunteered for three tours. He received, among other awards for gallantry and valor in combat, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and the Army Commendation Medal. In 2001, following his retirement from the Army, Minatra was inducted into the prestigious Army Ranger Hall of Fame (RHOF) located at Fort Moore, Georgia. In September 2017, Minatra’s military service was highlighted in a submission for the U.S. Congressional Record by Rep. (now Sen.) Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, followed by a celebration with family, friends and retired members of the 75th Ranger Regiment from Tennessee. Ranger Minatra passed away in 2018 and is buried in Pulaski.
From his Ranger Hall of Fame induction: Master Sergeant John D. Minatra was inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame in 2001 for his extraordinary valor and heroic service to the nation and his Ranger spirit in three tours in South Vietnam. Also for his distinguished duty as a Ranger instructor.