From Adam Rokoff

I forgot how lucky I am to live the life I live. What I would not give to have one more beer with my friend Joe. He was the epitome of a teammate, friend, and brother. Joseph Curreri is one of the biggest reasons I have many of the best memories.

When I transferred to USC I had no intention of being part of the swim team. I just wanted to be closer to home, get a degree, and move back to San Diego. The first few weeks of school were tough. I did not have many friends. I was living with two random roommates in a small one bedroom apartment on Adams and really just hated life. After missing the beginning of initiation (almost joining a frat, thank you Joe for talking some sense into me) Joe came and spoke with me. He told me how important it was to participate and what it meant to be part of the Trojan swim team. Right then I knew Joe was special. I mean what swimmer in his right mind you go out of his way to make sure some scrub walk-on diver was part of the team. That turned out to be one of the greatest weeks of my life and it was the first time I truly understood what “Team” really meant. I have my best friends because Joe decided to give me a chance. Every year during initiation Joe would lead the charge; instilling heart, loyalty, and determination into the next generation of Trojan swimmers. His unyielding dedication to keeping the Trojan spirit alive truly exemplified Joe. Whether it was welcoming in the freshmen or sending the seniors out at AMF, Joe made sure we all knew what it was to be a true teammate, friend, and brother.

After that Joe and I became very close. Every time I saw him I would smile. We would always joke with each other and laugh about how I was the most inflexible diver and never made morning workout.

Joe and Bishop. His commitment to that dog was unlike anything I had every seen before. They could read each other’s minds. I remember that first day he got Bishop. Joe always dreamed of owning a majestic and noble pure bred German Shepard, but instead he got Bishop. Even as a puppy the dog was a little different. He reminded me of Santa’s Little Helper from The Simpsons. He kind of looked like a German Shepard but sure did not act like one. The dog thought his propose in life was to protect Joe, love everyone else, and kill rocks. I will always remember the loud cries of “No Bishop” coming through my window at the swimmer house. I will never forget seeing them come back from their long runs together. Bishop would be so tired that Joe would have to drag him through the door. Most people would have given up on that kind of responsibility, but Joe did not. When Joe realized that he could no longer give Bishop the quality of life he deserved he made sure that he found a place where Bishop would be truly be happy.

One of my favorite memories was a story Joe told me about when he borrowed my car, “The Lex,” to take Athena on a date. He talked about how special she was and how he instantly knew she was the one. I never really believed in true love until I saw the look in his eyes when he spoke of Athena. I was so happy for Joe and knew his life was heading in the right direction.

Joe could make something out of nothing. What he did with the closet at the Yellow Sub was simply amazing. He kept it spotless, which is very difficult if you’re living with Erik. It was perfect for Joe and Bishop. It was just another example of Joe’s ability to motivate and make the best out any situation. He never let life’s challenges get in the way of his goals. He fought for everything and never gave up. His closet was so creative that I too decided that I could live in a closet, at my buddies house in Hermosa. It did no quite workout the way Joe’s room did. I mean, he had “Game.” Who else could bring the girl of their dreams back to a closet and have her still stick by his side?

Another great story was when Joe randomly called me up one night in San Diego. He was in town visiting some of his Navy Seal buddies and he wanted to grab a drink and introduce me to his friends. We met up and started to drink. The first thing we did was take shots. These were no ordinary shots they were special. I look over at Joe and he had this smirk on his face. I saw his buddies start to line up some salt, limes, and tequila. I thought to myself, “What’s the big deal”. Then Joe explained that these guys are Navy Seals and they take tequila shots a little differently. Then he explained that I must snort the salt, squirt lime juice in my eye, and then take the tequila shot. It was Joe; I could count on him for anything, he asked me to do it so I did it. After that we all talked. His buddies told stories about fighting the war on terror in Afghanistan and their experiences as a Navy Seal. Right then I knew Joe would figure out a way to realizing his dream of serving his county.

Over the last couple of years I only spoke with Joe a few times. The last time I spoke with Joe we were at a football game. I decide to go by myself and, as I was walking to grab my ticket from will call, I ran into Joe and Athena. We hungout for a few minutes and talked about how things were going. I remember thinking to myself how proud I was to have him as a friend and that if I could only be half the man he is I would truly be amazing. Part of the reason I did not keep in touch was because I was so proud of what he was accomplishing and that I was ashamed I was so mediocre. I knew he was on a path to greatness and I did not want to bring him down. Such a great man deserved to be surrounded by great people. I will always regret this. What I failed to realize is that Joe loved his friends no matter what. If you were lucky enough to be one, he was always happy to hear from you no matter what.

Every time someone would bring up the military or the war on terror I always tell them about my friend Joe and how special he is. I felt Joe was living a life that only a few could ever dream of, a selfless life committed to the betterment of the world. I was so proud to have him as a friend and made sure everyone knew that my buddy was a Green Beret. Joe understood how special all these things we all take for granted are and he was willing to die to protect that. I will always remember his commitment to country, family, friends, and tradition; his creativity, passion, and wisdom.

I will still talk about my brother Joe every chance I get. I will talk about how America is free because we have people like Joe protecting us. I truly feel honored to have had such a special person in my life. His name is Joseph Curreri. He died to make all of our lives better. I have lost one of the greatest men I will every meet. I will never forget you and what you taught me about being a Trojan, an American, and a man. My heart is broken and I will always love you. Rest in peace my brother.


Adam Patrick Rokoff