World War II Honoree

Joseph Ertl

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Central Islip, New York

Honored By

Michael McTiernan

He enlisted on January 27, 1941. After completing a surgical and general medical course at Walter Reed General Hospital in Washington, D.C., he was stationed at Madison Barracks, Fort Devens, Massachusetts; at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and at Pine Camp, New York. At Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont, he was attached to a medical detachment of the 186th Field Artillery. His Battalion left for the Hill Military Reservation, Virginia in March 1943, where he had more training and then left for Tennessee in June for maneuvers. He was shipped to Liverpool, England, where he trained in Devonshire and Cornwall until the Invasion. He participated in Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland-Ardennes, Central Europe and Germany Battles. He was discharged on September 5, 1945, at Fort Dix, New Jersey. He received the American Defense Medal, the European Defense Medal with five Stars, the God Conduct Medal and a Certificate of Merit.