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Last
Name:
BULKELEY |
First
Name Middle Initial:
JOSEPH W |
Nick
Name:
'JOE' |
Street:
2701 REGENCY OAKS BLVD P-413 |
City
& State: CLEARWATER, FL |
E-Mail: LBulkel1@tampabay.rr.com |
Zip:
33759 |
Phone:
[727] 669 0366 |
Spouse:
LOUISE P |
Conflict:
WW11 |
Service
Branch: ARMY |
Unit:
10 ARMRD DIV |
Theater:
ETO |
Where
Captured: GERMANY |
Date
Captured: 02/25/45 |
Camps
Held In: SLAVE LABOR CAMPS |
How
Long Interned: 35 days |
Liberated
/ repatriated: liberated |
Date
Liberated: 04/01/45 |
Age
at Capture: 29 |
Medals
Received: BRONZE STAR, POW MEDAL, PURPLE HEART |
Military
Job: RADIO OPERATOR |
Company: |
Occupation
after War: |
Bio:
JOSEPH W. BULKELEY BORN ON APRIL 20, 1916 IN AYER, MA. INDUCTED IN THE
ARMY AT FORT DEVENS, MA ON NOV. 8, 1942. TRAINED AT FORT BENNING, GA
FROM NOV., 1942 TO JUNE, 1943 FOLLOWED BY TENNESSEE MANEUVERS. AT CAMP
GORDON, GA FROM SEPT., 1943 TO SEPT. 1944. PRIOR TO SHIPMENT OVERSEAS
WAS AT CAMP SHANKS, NY WHICH WAS THE PORT OF EMBARKATION. WAS SHIPPED
OVERSEAS IN SEPT., 1944. SERVED WITH THE 10TH ARMORED DIVISION IN
COMBAT AS A RADIO OPERATOR. PARTICIPATED IN THE CAPTURE OF METZ,
GERMANY IN EARLY NOV., 1944, FOLLOWED BY THE FIGHTING IN THE ARDENNES
FROM DEC. 17, 1944 TO DEC. 24, 1944. TOOK PART IN AMERICAN FORCES
ERASING WHAT WAS KNOWN AS “THE TRIANGLE” FROM FEB. 17,
1945 UNTIL I WAS SERIOUSLY WOUNDED AND CAPTURED ON FEB.25, 1945. WHEN
MY WOUNDS WERE SOMEWHAT HEALED WAS FORCED TO DRAW A GERMAN WAGON WITH
ABOUT 20 OTHER AMERICAN PRISONERS FROM THE DARMSTADT AREA TO THE RHINE
RIVER AND BEYOND. THE WAGONS WERE SUPPOSEDLY LOADED WITH HOSPITAL
SUPPLIES SO WE WERE TOLD. IT FELT MORE LIKE SMALL-ARMS AMMUNITION. WE
WERE POORLY FED AND TOTALLY EXPOSED TO THE WEATHER, AS WELL AS, TO
AMERICAN AIR ATTACKS. ON MARCH 31, 1945 I ESCAPED WITH NINE OTHER
AMERICANS. I REACHED A GERMAN VILLAGE, THE NAME OF WHICH I CANNOT
RECALL, WHERE A FAMILY TOOK ME IN AND FED ME. ABOUT A COUPLE OF HOURS
AFTER I MET UP WITH AN AMERICAN ARMORED UNIT THAT WAS GOING THROUGH
THE VILLAGE AND THEY ALLOWED ME TO JOIN THEM. I STAYED WITH THEM UNTIL
THE NEXT DAY, APRIL 1, 1945, WHEN I WAS TURNED OVER BY THEM TO THE
AMERICAN FORCES. WHEN I WAS FINALLY LIBERATED I WEIGHED 80 POUNDS. |
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