World War II Honoree

Joseph N. Battaglia

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Buffalo, New York

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Signalman First Class. He was inducted into the United States Navy October 23, 1940 at San Pedro, California, with recruit training at the U.S. Naval Training Station San Diego, California. After completing boot camp, he was transferred to the USS Juneau Cruiser, CL-52 for duty as a Signalman. On August 7, 1942 the Cruiser and her shipmates, along with an armada of U.S. Battleships, Destroyers and other warships, arrived off-shore of Guadalcanal, South Pacific Theater of Operations in support of the impending invasion. Reported missing in action, lost at sea Friday, November 13, 1942 when his Cruiser was torpedoed, and sunk by an Imperial Japanese Submarine during the Naval Battle. In remembrance of the brave, his name is permanently inscribed in the tablets of the missing, memorialized at the American Cemetery at Fort William-McKinley in Manila, Philippine Islands. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.