Joseph Intaschi
U.S. Marine Corps
SERVICE IN COLD AND HOT PLACES
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| Born: 1917 |
Residence:
San Jose, CA
United States |
Original home:
San Bruno, CA
United States |
When I was eighteen years old and living in San Francisco, I joined the Marine Corps Reserve in April of 1936. I reported for active duty November 7th 1940 and was sent with the First Marine Brigade to Reykjavik, Iceland in July of 1941. I was in the Motor Transport Division of the Marines. In the fall of 1942, I was reassigned to the S. Pacific as a Staff Sergeant.
It was from Wellington, New Zealand that I was later sent to the Pacific Theatre of war, seeing action in Saipan, Okinawa, Guadalcanal, and the Solomon Islands.
I was recalled to active duty in March of 1950 for the war in Korea. The time in Korea was absolutely the worst as the fighting was constant and besides snow and ice, we almost froze to death with temperatures dipping to 47 degrees below zero.
Having survived many strategic battle places, I found myself on my way home on a small well stocked LST ship traveling from Saipan to Honolulu when the news came that the war had ended with the Japanese on August 15, 1945.
As the news came thru the ship on August 15, 1945, we were ecstatic. My friends were happy- hugging, crying, trying to call home. They were celebrating in any way they knew. I breathed a sigh of relief as I had seen enough and all I to wanted to do was to go home to see my family and friends.
At the time we were stationed on a ship in Pearl Harbor. We spent that night at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Honolulu; it was surprisingly very quite that night.
I was in the service a total of 40 years, 3 months and 17 days, counting active and reserve duty. I retired as a Chief Warrant Officer 4th Grade.
Over the years I received the Presidential Unit Citation, American Defense Medal Citation, the European Theatre War Medal, and The Asiatic Pacific Theatre of War Citation plus many battle stars.
On July 4, 1948 I married Marie Gattuccio and we were blessed with our daughter, Linda. Submitted by Joseph Intaschi
Submitted by:
Robert J. Corpus
San Jose, CA - United States
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