Obituary of Joseph M. Eannarino

Joseph M. Eannarino Joseph M. Eannarino, 92, of 610 Highland Ave., passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 9, 2011, at his residence where he had resided for the last fifty-nine years after being transferred to Griffiss Air Force Base Rome Air Develolpment Center - now known as the Air Force Research Laboratory - with Watson Laboratory from Eatontown, N.J. in 1951. He was born February 23, 1918 in Providence, R.I., a son of Edward Eannarino and Virginia Lombardy. He graduated from Central High in Providence in 1935 and from Syracuse University and George Washington University majoring in physics. He was a member of SIGMA PI SIGMA (physics honor society). On June 21, 1941 he was united in marriage to Frances Capraro in St. Ann's Church in Providence. After the love of his wife of sixty-nine years and his family, science and compassion for others were his life. Joe began his radar career in 1942 at Camp Evans Signal Corps in New Jersey as an instructor of search and tracking radar. He was classified as 2B "working essential to the war effort." During the late 1940s and after, he was responsible for installing and operating the experimental early radar development L.F. LORAN (Long Distance Navigation Equipment) for Operation Musk-Ox in the Yukon developed at Watson Laboratory, Fort Monmouth, N.J. In 1951, after transferring to RADC in Rome, he was Chief Engineer of Surveillance & Control as Supervisory Electronic Engineer and served on many senior professional and technical government groups for the Department of Defense as a recognized authority on tactical and special air warfare. He was cited for many significant contributions. His proposal for a complete Air Force control plan for the Berlin Wall crisis of 1959-60 was accepted by USAF Headquarters and became know as BAMBOO TREE. Through his outstanding technical management, his contributions resulted in vast improvements to Air Defense Radars and to Strategic Air Command (SAC) offensive capabilities. The Department of Defense (DOD) approved his early advocacy of an electronically phased-erray radar which resulted in the first USAF 3- D radar. As Laboratory Chief he guided the efforts of his rngineers on several Diverse Radar Systyms which improved safer aircraft landings techniques including the Microwave Landing System (MLS). In 1963 he was selected as a senior member of the Air Force Systems Command Team on COIN (Counter-Insurgency), the Counterinsurgency Technical Team which traveled to South East Asia South Vietnam and Thailand provided on-the-spot technical assistance, evaluation which was noted as the Limited War COIN Plan. At RADC he was involved in Base Defense developments in the areas of acoustic, seismic, pressure and line sensor development including guided work on helicopter-supported and ground-based radar for detecting personnel, mortar and rocket emplacements, low flying aircraft, tunnel detection LORAN D long range navigation, ground control tactical bombing systems, ship launched ballistic missle radars and advanced tactical air control. In the late 1950's he set up a propsal to develop the inflatable radar antenna. As a result, Westinghouse developed the first inflatable built antenna. In 1957, as chairman of the Working Group on Missle Compatibility with Jointly Used Air Defense Radars, he received an accomodation for his ability to provide a well documented report in view of difficulties in obtaining Department of Army Coordination and cooperation. During 1957-59, he managed a then classified project called Weapons Experimental Evaluation program which by actual testing in Albuquque contributed toward vast improvements in Air Defense Command radars as well as to Strategic Air Command offensive capabilities. He also, on his own initiative, assisted the FAA by consultation on improvement for their radar capability improvement. He also provided the Army and Navy with information to increase their missile capabilities. In 1964 he assisted in the initial planning of Japanese Air Defense BADGE System. He was commended by the Department of the Air Force for his outstanding initiatiation of radar and radar techniques, missile and sattelite detections, Air Force Command and Control Systms, Navigation in hostile environments and foresight by making outstanding contributions in the field. Since working in the field of ground electronics since 1945, he had been responsible for planning, guiding and directing research and development efforts involving multi-million dollar exploratory, advanced, engineering systems that solved then current problems worldwide combined with long-range planning assisting the U.S. defense strategies. His opinions and leadership in this field have earned him much respect within the Department of Defense as well as industry and he was frequently called upon whenever and wherever a problem required solving. Upon retiring in 1974, he was cited for his outstanding determination to make the "Air Force Better." His Key role in the Berlin airlift in the design, building and installing of the elecronics made the airlift possible and permitted the U.S. to achive its objectives in Germany. In the Vietnam War, he was a leader in innovation needed to solve critical problems. He has served on numerous senior professional and Government technical and guidance groups at the Department of Defense, USAF, ASFC and at RADC as a recognized authority on tactical and special air warfare surveillance and ECCM techniques. During the early and mid seventies, he worked on and held several United States and International Patents, one involving environmental air emission control, a precursor to the current catalytic converter. With all his devotion to his lifetime career and work-related travel and family, he will always be remembered by those who knew him as a person with a heart who always found time and interest to listen and to be there for the other. He was very much loved by his family, as he by example, had always showed to them. Mr. Eannarino received the Meritorious Civilian Service award in 1960 and the Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service in 1962. He was one of two engineers named by the Air Force Security Council for the AFA Award. He was Chairman of the Professional Group on Military Electronics. He was also listed in the Air Force Systems Command Employees Recognition Roll, Mohawk Valley Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a member of Sigma Phi Sigma, Air Force Association, Black Crow Association (those plaqued by extraordinary number of adversities or mishaps leading to research, development and technology of weather modification for beneficial uses), Caterpiller Club (survivors of multiple air crashes who have successfully used a parachute to bail out of a disabled aircraft who must have saved their lives by jumping with a parachute, a first for Joe, (only about one in 10 people in the early twenty-first century qualify each year, including pilots who eject), Knights of Columbus and Rome Kiwanis. He is survived by his wife, Frances; his daughters, Joan Colgan, Vermont, and Judith Karten, Washington, D.C.; a sister and brother-in- law, Josephine and Paul Moretti, Rhode Island; a grandson, Peter Colgan, Vermont; a grandaughter, Christy Colgan and a great grandson Liam, Vermont; a grandaughter, Rachel Shapiro, Seattle; and several nephews in Rhode Island and Arizona. He was predeceased by a brother, Philip, and a daughter, Carol. Special thanks to the Visiting Nurse Association, Hospice & Palliative Care of New Hartford and to Gary Lawrence Jr. for being there during the last months of his life with tender, loving care. A memorial Mass will be held on Saturday at 2 p.m. at St Paul's Church where friends are invited to attend. Private burial will be held in Providence, R.I. There are no calling hours. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Childrens' Hospital, Memphis, Tenn., the Visiting Nurse Association, 2008 Genesee St., Utica, NY 13502, or Hospice & Palliative Care, Inc., 4277 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, NY 13413. Arrangements are by the Nicholas J. Bush Funeral Home, Inc., 218 W. Court St.