23May1917 – 28Feb1945
Edison Days
Joe graduated with the Class of June 1936. He was active in Torch, High-Y, and Football.
Military Service
Rank: Corporal
Branch: United States Army
Unit: Company B – 743rd Tank Battalion
The 743rd Tank Battalion was in the first wave of landings at Omaha Beach on D-Day (as depicted in the opening scene of the movie Saving Private Ryan). It is unknown if Joe was with the unit at that time or not. A review of the units After Action Reports from 6Jun1944 to the date of Joe’s death was inconclusive as to when he joined.
On 27Feb1945 Joe’s tank battalion was supporting infantry units in an attack on Konigshovin, Germany. By 0100 hours (1am) on 28Feb1945 the German’s had been cleared from the town. At 0700 hours (7am) Joe’s tank was in a defensive position when a German tank was spotted approaching the town. Joe’s tank fired twice at the German tank with both rounds bouncing off. The German tank fired back and scored a direct hit on the front of Joe’s tank. The shell penetrated the tank and caused it to burn. Joe and Private First Class Harold R. Heilman were killed.
After Action Report for 28Feb1945.
Due to the damage from the German shell and the fire that followed, Joe’s and Harold’s bodies were placed in a common casket and buried at a military cemetery in Margraten, Netherlands.
In 1950, Joe’s and Harold’s remains were returned to the United Stated for reburial. They are buried in Rock Island National Cemetery in Rock Island, Il.
The following are clipped from the battalion history book published just after the war.
Silver Star Medal
The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States.
The 1946 Wizard yearbook entry for Joe credits him with being awarded a Silver Star Medal. No documentation of that award has been found to date. If true, it suggests that Joe served with the 743rd Tank Battalion from the D-Day landings in Normandy, until his death 9 months later.
Edison Heroes 