Homeland Center Resident Joe Pulaski: A Life of Adventure and Service to his Country
When Joe Pulaski enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, he wanted to maintain B-52 bombers, and he got his wish. As Homeland Center honors its residents and staff veterans for Veterans Day, he spoke for many who cherish their service.
“It made me grow up,” he said. “It helped me with a lot of things. I made rank pretty steady, so my earnings went up regularly. It was a good deal. Everything about it was fine.”
Joe grew up in the Harrisburg suburb of Colonial Park, where he developed a love of the outdoors and a taste for adventure through hunting and fishing with his brothers.
“We had a great time,” he said.
As an Explorer Scout, he attended a weekend encampment at the former Olmsted Air Force Base in Middletown. Staying in the barracks, eating in the chow hall, and riding in a cargo plane made him eager to enlist. He signed up as soon as he graduated from Bishop McDevitt High School in 1966.
The next four years were good ones. Basic training was tolerable. “I’d been to harder Boy Scout camps,” he said. Technical school was “pretty intense.” Days were packed with marching, shining shoes, studying, and assigned jobs.
The experience prepared him for his posting to Minot, North Dakota. He adjusted to the cold winters and was doing what he wanted. He serviced the Air Force’s newest B-52 bombers.
He rose to the rank of E5 — staff sergeant — at 21.
“It was a great decision to do it right out of high school,” he said.
After opting not to reenlist, he got a job servicing vehicles at a Volkswagen dealership in Harrisburg. The business changed hands three times, but Joe stayed put for 19 years.
“The joke was that I went with the building,” he said.
He also reconnected with Avis, whom he’d met at his father’s company picnics over the years. They married one year after he got home and settled into family life.
They had a son and a daughter. Joe shared his passion for the outdoors with his family. When Avis wanted to resume her nursing studies, he supported her; she would retire after 35 years as a registered nurse.
Avis, who still lives at home, supported Joe’s career change after he left the dealership. He learned to service computers and retired from Capital Blue Cross.
He fed his adventurous streak by driving stock cars, sailing up to 35-foot yachts, and raising horses.
“My wife said, ‘You can’t get into anything small,’ and I said, ‘Nope,’” he recalls.
He loved horses, especially the big ones. He joined a circuit of draft horse people who competed at the Pennsylvania Farm Show and marched in parades. He even joined the Great Circus Parade in Milwaukee one year.
His own draft horse team stabled at Landis Valley Museum, Pennsylvania’s living history farm in Lancaster County, where he gave wagon rides and demonstrated horse-powered farming.
His Clydesdale, named Hunter, still boards with a friend. Despite their size, Clydesdales are not big grain eaters. However, they will eat a bale of hay in one session. “A lot of times, they’ll still be looking for it.”
“The big ones are easier to keep than the light horses, I think,” he said.
After arriving in Homeland in December 2022, Joe lived in skilled care for two years. Homeland’s physical therapists “stuck by me constantly” to help him recover from health issues.
When he regained his mobility, he moved to his personal care suite, where he now lifts weights to stay active.
He spends his days attending music programs, enjoying his beloved outdoors in the lush Catherine Elizabeth Meikle Courtyard, and chatting with resident Carl Barna in Homeland’s community garden.
Recently, he spoke with students from The Nativity School of Harrisburg, a nearby boys’ prep school. He talked about his Air Force duty. For Joe, military service opens doors to career and learning opportunities. It was “the best thing I could have done at the time.”
“I would strongly urge any young person unsure of their direction to give it some time,” he said. “You might find out that you like it. The Air Force gave me everything they promised. I kept stepping up, and they gave me a lot of responsibility. It was a good deal for me. I loved being in the service for my country.”
Homeland Center (www.homelandcenter.org) offers levels of care including personal care, memory care, skilled nursing and rehabilitation. Homeland also provides hospice, home care, home health and palliative care services to serve the diverse and changing needs of families throughout central Pennsylvania. For more information or to arrange a tour, please call 717-221-7900.
