On Sept. 23, 2014, Joshua Rodney Pallotta, 25, of Colchester, succumbed to his ongoing battle with Post Traumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injuries sustained while proudly serving his country in Afghanistan. Born April 2, 1989 in Burlington, Josh was the beloved son of Gregory and Valerie Pallotta of Colchester. As a young boy, Josh was an avid hockey player. He enjoyed going to UVM hockey games with his Mime and spending time with his grandparents at their summer cottage on Lake Eden. Josh graduated from Colchester High School in 2007, where he played club lacrosse and Varsity Football. During his senior year at Colchester High School, Josh was selected to play in the North-South High School Football Game. After high school, Josh took courses at the Community College of Vermont and subsequently became an agent working for the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) in Burlington. Josh joined the Vermont Army National Guard as a member of ALPHA Company, 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry, 86 IBCT (Mountain) and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2009. His bravery earned him The Army Commendation Medal with “V” Device for his valorous achievement during combat operations fighting against an enemy ambush while in Afghanistan. To live in hearts we leave behind is to never die and, thankfully, our cherished Josh will live in the hearts of his family and friends forever.
From his mother: “I have discovered if I’m focusing on our mission of supporting Veterans and service members who have PTSD/TBI and assisting with putting an end to the tragedy of 22 a day, I am not focusing on my grief. This is my mission. I testified on November 19, 2014 before the Senate Committee for Veterans Affairs less than 8 weeks after our son died. This is very important to me and I will not stop until there is an end to this tragedy.”
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