The lone eagle

His spine is so crooked it is almost shaped like an "S."

He has had to go under the knife more than once to have his sinus cavities fixed.

He has acute asthma and his bouts of acid reflux wake him up in the middle of the night.

John V. Ricciardi, 15, has a host of ailments that held him back in school and kept him from playing sports.

He refuses self-pity. He refuses to sit at home.

Ricciardi recently earned Eagle Scout, the highest attainable rank in the Boy Scouts of America.

He was dressed in his uniform Saturday. When he leaned forward in his chair, his medals dangled from shirt.

Ricciardi had to earn them on his own. His health conditions made it impossible for him to join a troop, so he earned his merit badges as a "lone scout." His only leader and mentor was his father.

"The only time I was more proud was when I held him when he was born," said John J. Ricciardi, a former Marine who has instilled in his son a love of military history.

The younger Ricciardi said he likes the Boy Scouts because it gives him experiences in his youth that he can use in adulthood.

"It gives you leadership experience," he said.

He will apply those lessons when he and his father assist a teenager in Citrus County who also is striving for Eagle Scout. The teen has cerebral palsy.

In addition to his Boy Scout life, Ricciardi is a Columbian Squire, a youth fraternity for the Knights of Columbus. His family is active at the nearby St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church.

Otherwise, Ricciardi hasn't been as active as he would like. The advantage is that he can focus more on his activities through the Boy Scouts.

He often as seen young men cross over from Cub Scout to Boy Scout only to drop out weeks or months later. He stuck to it because it seemed to be all he had outside of family, school and church.

He has taken advantage of his opportunities. He enjoys camping, shooting and learning about nature.

In spite of his health issues, Ricciardi would like to become a military officer. If he is considered medically ineligible, he will remain connected to the armed forces - by becoming a military historian.

He already can spout off endless trivia dating back to World War II. The honor roll student recently wrote a report in school about a U.S. Naval Chaplain Vincent R. Capodanno.

The chaplain was giving last rites to the wounded when a North Vietnamese soldier opened fire with a machinegun and mowed him down in the back. He purposely blocked several Marines from the line of fire, Ricciardi said. His actions earned him the Medal of Honor.

Ricciardi scored 100 percent on his report, he said.