Joseph Earl Wolfe
T/4 in Signal Co, Special : Radio B
Military occupational specialty: 776 (radio operator, low speed)
ASN#33400840
Born 1921 in PA, Died 1992
County of enlistment: Pittsburgh, PA
United States Army, European Theatre of Operations
Occupation before the war: semiskilled machine shop and related occupations, n.e.c.
College education before the war: 4 years
Joseph Wolfe was born on January 17, 1921 in Hazelwood, PA, a neighborhood of Pittsburgh. He was the third of seven children; his father worked in a steel mill.
In the 1940 census, Joe is listed as being a skilled laborer at Safety Appliance, and attending school.
When he registered for the draft, on February 16, 1942, he was working at Louis Foundry & Machine in Groveton, PA. He enlisted on November 16, 1942; his profession was listed in the category of "semi-skilled machine shop and related occupations" and the record also indicated that he had completed four years of college.
Joe served in the European theatre as a radio operator in the Signal Company Special. A November, 1945 article in the Hattiesburg (MS) American indicates that "he escaped just in the nick of time during the Ardennes battle but he rates the battle of Saarlautern the worst of all." The article goes on to say that Joe "most of all . . . missed milk shakes and ice cream while overseas. Upon returning to civilian life he plans to resume his former job as a machinist."
He was discharged from the Army on October 21, 1945 with the rank of T-4.
In 1950 he was living in an apartment in Groveton, PA. Little else is known of his life or work. He died on January 1, 1992 in Osceola, FL and is buried at Coraopolis Cemetery in Coraopolis, PA.
Sources:
1930 census
1940 census
1942 draft card
1942 enlistment record
1945 article in the Hattiesburg American (MS) about his service with the 23rd HQ Special Troops
https://www.newspapers.com/image/278151157/?terms=joseph%20e%20wolfe&match=1
1950 Pennsylvania US Veterans Compensation Files
1992 Find a Grave record (note that death year is incorrect; correct year on gravestone in photo)
1992 Social Security applications and claims index
1992 VA death record
1992 Florida death index