World War II Honoree

Joe Cauley

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Honored By

Michael Keshan

Relationship

Pastor

IT ALL BEGAN AT FORT SHERIDAN, ILLINOIS ON JUNE 8, 1945. THIS WAS THE INDUCTION CENTER AT THAT TIME. FROM THERE HE WENT TO FORT RILEY, KANSAS, FOR 16 WEEKS OF BASIC TRAINING. THE TRAINING CONSISTED OF RIFLE, MORTAR AND MECHANIZED CAVALRY RECONNAISSANCE AND A LOT OF INFANTRY HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT TRAINING. WE WERE GOING TO THE PACIFIC WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMAN AUTHORIZED THE ATOMIC BOMB ATTACK ON JAPAN. HIS ORDERS WERE CHANGED TO SERVE IN EUROPE. HE THEN WENT TO LE HAVRE, FRANCE AND WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 4TH ARMORED DIVISION AND THEN ON TO REGENSBURG, GERMANY. THERE WE BUNKED IN AN OLD GERMAN PANZER DIVISION FORT. HE WAS THEN ASSIGNED THE JOB OF A MESS SERGEANT. PICKED UP THE RATIONS, PLANNED THE DAILY MENU, PICKED UP GERMAN PRISONERS AT THE STOCKADE, AND HELPED PREPARE THE MEALS AND DO THE KITCHEN PATROL DUTIES. AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS THERE, HE WAS REASSIGNED TO FURTH IM WALD, GERMANY. THIS WAS POLICE WORK IN A SPECIAL GROUP KNOWN AS 'THE CONSTABULARY SQUADRON'. OUR MAIN OBJECTIVE WAS TO MONITOR ALL INCOMING TRAINS OF DISPLACED PERSONS. WHEN THE TRAINS ARRIVED, WE WOULD ALLOW THE PEOPLE TO GET OFF, MOVE AROUND, AND USE THE FACILITIES. AT TIMES WE WOULD GIVE THEM SOME RATIONS AND AT THE SAME TIME STAND GUARD AND SEE THAT NO ONE LEFT THE DESIGNATED AREA. AFTER A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME, WE WOULD SEE THAT ALL PERSONS WERE BACK ON THE TRAIN. THIS WAS A SAD SIGHT BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE WERE SKIN AND BONES FROM CONCENTRATION CAMPS. SOME WERE SO SICK IT WAS AN AWFUL SIGHT TO SEE. AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS OF THIS DUTY, HE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED AT FORT SHERIDAN ON JULY 4, 1946.