B-24 Liberator ball turret gunner with the 15th Air Force, 464th Bomb Group

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In 1942, Joseph served as a Civil Air Patrol cadet, an Air Raid Warden, and as an Airplane Spotter with the Civil Defense in Uniontown, PA. Prior to his enlistment in 1943, Joseph became the first Eagle Scout from Uniontown BSA Troop #2 and later served as their scoutmaster.

 

Joseph enlisted in the Army Air Corp  upon graduating from Saint John High School in Uniontown PA.  His date of enlistment was August 2, 1943. He and his fellow enlisted men were sworn in, given a blue Air Force Reserve pin to wear then sent home to be called up when openings in the training became available. He was called up on January 5, 1944. After completing gunnery school, Joseph flew as a ball turret gunner on a B-24 Liberator with the 15th Air Force, 464th Bomb Group, in Italy. He completed 35 combat missions and was awarded the Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf clusters, the European Theater Operations (ETO) medal with 5 Battle Stars, the American Defense Medal, the Good Conduct medal, and WWII Victory medal. The 464th Bomb Group was awarded a Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation for its combat action in leading the 55th Bombardment Wing formation through an extremely heavy anti-aircraft flak barrage and through 60 aggressive enemy fighter aircraft, to bomb the oil refineries in Vienna, Austria, resulting in the complete destruction of vital installations critical to the German war effort.  His five battle stars were awarded for his participation in the following major campaigns:  Battle of the North Apennines, Air War Balkans, Battle of Central Europe, Battle of the Rhineland, and Battle for Po Valley.  Joseph was honorably discharged, with the rank of Staff Sergeant, in October 1945.  

 

After the war, Joseph earned his degree from Duquesne University and subsequently worked as an engineer for Westinghouse Electric Corporation, retiring in 1986. He and his wife Phyllis have 4 children, 11 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. Joseph, an avid model plane builder, passed on his interest in aviation to a son and grandson who became licensed pilots enabling him to once again leave the bounds of the earth for the skies.

 

Joseph is now living in Perry Township near Perryopolis. He is 99 years old and is living at home with his wife. He still produces a weekly family newsletter on the computer.

A comment from Joseph after reviewing the information for this article:

“To most of us WWII was the adventure of a lifetime. For too many it was the ultimate sacrifice. Men and women lost their lives so that we (and others) could maintain our freedom. Unless you knew them, it is difficult to understand their reasons for leaving behind comfort and loved ones to give their lives so that others might live in freedom. Most of us tried to do our best  I don't believe any of us thought of ourselves as heroes. We were simply very young men, not far removed from our high school proms, trying to do a difficult and dangerous job. We were away from our homes and families and we knew the only way we could return to our homes and families was to finish the job.”