NAME: Joseph R. Blackwood
ASN: 35722889
PLACE OF BIRTH: Frederick, OK
DATE OF BIRTH: 28 Aug 1923
DATES OF SERVICE: 16 Jan 1943 - 22 Sep 1945
UNIT ASSIGNED: A Company, 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion
Demolition Platoon, HQ, 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion
B Company, 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion
H Company, 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment
507th Parachute Infantry Regiment
411th ABN QM Company
CAMPAIGNS: Naples - Foggia, Anzio, Rome - Arno, Southern France, Ardennes - Alsace, Rhineland, Central Europe
AWARDS: Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge with combat jump star, Silver Star Medal, EAME Campaign Medal with arrowhead and six campaign stars, Good Conduct Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Distinguished (Presidential) Unit Citation with oak leaf cluster, four overseas service bars, French Croix de Guerre with bronze star, 3rd Zouave Regiment Badge
SUMMARY OF SERVICE: Private First Class
Lived at 1620 N. St. Joseph Ave, Evansville, IN
Graduated High School
16 Jan 1943 - Induction/Enlisted at Camp Benjamin Harrison, Evansville, IN - NARA Enlistment Record
| ARMY SERIAL NUMBER | 35722889 | 35722889 |
| NAME | BLACKWOOD#JOE#R######### | BLACKWOOD#JOE#R######### |
| RESIDENCE: STATE | #1 | Undefined Code |
| RESIDENCE: COUNTY | 163 | Undefined Code |
| PLACE OF ENLISTMENT | 5120 | EVANSVILLE INDIANA |
| DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY | 16 | 16 |
| DATE OF ENLISTMENT MONTH | 01 | 01 |
| DATE OF ENLISTMENT YEAR | 43 | 43 |
| GRADE: ALPHA DESIGNATION | PVT# | Private |
| GRADE: CODE | 8 | Private |
| BRANCH: ALPHA DESIGNATION | BI# | Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA |
| BRANCH: CODE | 00 | Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA |
| FIELD USE AS DESIRED | # | # |
| TERM OF ENLISTMENT | 5 | Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law |
| LONGEVITY | ### | ### |
| SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL | 0 | Civil Life |
| NATIVITY | 84 | OKLAHOMA |
| YEAR OF BIRTH | 23 | 23 |
| RACE AND CITIZENSHIP | 1 | White, citizen |
| EDUCATION | 4 | 4 years of high school |
| CIVILIAN OCCUPATION | 685 | Semiskilled welders and flame cutters |
| MARITAL STATUS | 6 | Single, without dependents |
| COMPONENT OF THE ARMY | 7 | Selectees (Enlisted Men) |
| CARD NUMBER | # | # |
| BOX NUMBER | 0982 | 0982 |
| FILM REEL NUMBER | 5.44# | 5.44# |
23 Jan 1943 - Entered Active Service in Camp Benjamin Harrison, Evansville, IN
27 Jan 1943 - Transferred to and completed Basic Infantry Training at Camp Wheeler, GA after 13 weeks of training
23 Mar 1943 - Tetanus immunization
05 May 1943 - Transferred to Fort Benning, GA
23 Jun 1943 - Graduated from the Parachute School, Fort Benning, GA
Took one week leave back to Evansville, IN
20 Jul 1943 - Reported to Camp Patrick Henry, Norfolk, VA for shipment overseas
30 Jul 1943 - Departed the US for ETO on the Queen Elizabeth
06 Aug 1943 - Arrived in ETO at Casablanca took train through Oran
Trained a Infantry Replacement Training Center, Camp Kunkle, Oujda, North Africa
Departed Bizerte, North Africa for Naples, Italy
13 Dec 1943 - Assigned to A Co. 509th PIB in Naples, Italy then reassigned to Demolitions Platoon, HHC 509th PIB
06 Jan 1944 - Conducted training jump near Pompei
22 Jan 1944 - Participated in Operation SHINGLE the amphibious invasion of Anzio, Italy
10 Apr 1944 - Pvt. Joseph R. Blackwood 35722889 HHC 509th PIB GO 5 Award of Combat Infantryman Badge
30 Apr 1944 - Moved back to Naples, Italy with unit for R and R
04 May 1944 - Conducted training jump
16 May 1944 - Moved to Pasteum and conduct two more training jumps
10 Jun 1944 - Moved to Lido de Roma and Rome
11 Aug 1944 - Moved to Follinca, Italy for preparation of the invasion of Southern France
15 Aug 1944 - Participated in Operation RUGBY (DRAGOON) the airborne invasion of Southern France
Moved through La Napoule, Cannes, Nice, Monaco, Maritime Alps
11 Oct 1944 - Pvt. Joseph R. Blackwood 35722889 GO 17 HQ 1st ABTF Award of Silver Star page 384 book Stand in the Door by Charles H. Doyle and Terrell Stewart
HEADQUARTERS 1ST AIRBORNE TASK FORCE
Office of the Commanding General
APO 758 U. S. Army
GO#17, 11 October 1944
AWARD OF SILVER STAR
CITATION
JOSEPH R. BLACKWOOD, 35722889, Private first class, Infantry, United States Army, for gallantry in action near Isola, France, on 13 September 1944. Private first class Blackwood was a member of a seventeen man patrol proceeding to the northwest of Isola with the mission of reconnoitering and photographing enemy pillboxes. As he advanced with this patrol up a draw he observed four pillboxes approximately 600 yards to his front. These pillboxes appeared to be unoccupied and the patrol advanced 200 yards until it was stopped by an anti-personnel mine. Private first class Blackwood and another soldier were sent back for wire with which to trip the mine. Upon their return to the first pillbox, Private first class Blackwood and his comrade saw the remainder of the patrol withdrawing. The enemy opened fire with 20 mm guns, mortars, machine guns and rifles, and pinned the patrol down. Private first class Blackwood volunteered to go forward and recover a man who was seriously wounded and lying in the open under direct fire. In the face of the intense fire, Private first class Blackwood ran to the wounded man and carried him to a covered position. He administered first aid to the man and then assisted him three miles back down the hill to Isola. Private first class Blackwood's courage under enemy fire and his consideration for another's welfare reflect credit upon both himself and his unit. Entered the military service from Evansville, Indiana.
ROBERT T. FREDERICK,
Major General, U. S. Army,
Commanding.
23 Nov 1944 - Moved off the line to Nice, France
07 Dec 1944 - Moved to Villers-Cotterets for R and R
11 Dec 1944 - Arrived at Villers-Cotterets
13 Dec 1944 - Demo Platoon, HHC 509th PIB moved to Aywaille, Belgium to provide security for XVIII AB Corps HQ
22 Dec 1944 - Participated in the Ardennes campaign
23 Dec 1944 - Demo Platoon rejoined rest of 509th PIB and moved to Manhay, Belgium
Moved through Sadzot
02 Jan 1945 - Came off the line
20 Jan 1945 - Went back on the line went through Spa, Born, St. Vith in Belgium
25 Jan 1945 - Awarded the French Croix de Guerre with bronze star
28 Jan 1945 - 509th PIB with only 48 officers and men were pulled off the line and sent to Trois Ponts
01 Feb 1945 - Unit informed that it would be disbanded
06 Feb 1945 - Pfc. Blackwood was assigned to H Company, 3rd Bn, 504th PIR, 82nd AB at Grand Halleux, Belgium
10 Feb 1945 - Moved to Schmidthof
13 Feb 1945 - Moved to west bank of Roer River in Germany
19 Feb 1945 - 504th PIR was relieved in place loaded on trucks to Aachen then went by 40 and 8 to Laon, France
Conducted two practice jumps in Laon, France
Went on three day pass to Paris, France
03 Mar 1945 - Officially presented the French Croix de Guerre with bronze star
04 Mar 1945 - Departed Laon, France for Rhinekassel, Germany
05 Mar 1945 - Arrived in Rhinekassel, Germany along west side of the Rhine River
15 Mar 1945 - Small Pox and Typhoid immunizations
16 Apr 1945 - Observed the massive surrender of the German Army 317,000 at the Elbe River
Moved to Giessen, Germany
Moved to Bedburg, Germany
Moved to Bleckade, Germany however he was selected with some others to go to Haar to witness the Dachau Concentration Camp
Moved to Eldena, Germany
06 Jun 1945 - He was sent to Laon, France due to having enough points to go home
17 Jun 1945 - Transferred to the 507th PIR, 82nd AB in Rambervillers
Transferred to the 411th ABN QM Co., 17th AB in Vittel, France
30 Aug 1945 - Moved to St. Victoret, France
07 Sep 1945 - Departed ETO from Marsaille, France aboard the USS Mariposa for US
15 Sep 1945 - Arrived US at Camp Miles Standish, Boston, MA. Stepped on US Soil at 11:20 am
22 Sep 1945 - Honorably Discharged at Speration Center Camp Atterbury, IN with 6 months 14 days CONUS and 2 years 1 month and 16 days OCONUS
Caught an Air Force flight to Childress, TX
Traveled by train from Childress, TX to his new home on 3002 Barnard Street, San Diego, CA
French Croix de Guerre with Bronze Star
After his discharge he traveled to San Diego, where his family and that of his fiancee had moved. He and Betty were married for 61 years until her death in 2006. He attended UC Berkeley where he earned a degree in Electrical Engineering, then settled in the San Diego area. He worked his entire career at Convair/General Dynamics engineering the Atlas rocket (the booster for the Mercury manned space program), the Tomahawk cruise missile, and other programs.
He was an amateur auto mechanic, builder of houses, pilot and owner of a Cherokee Piper 180, a fair golfer, horseshoe champ, league bowler, square dancer, fashioner of Easter Egg hunts, camper, fisherman, treacherous poker player, scout leader, pack rat, and father of two sons.
Some 50 years after his service he discovered the 509 Parachute Infantry Association, and through it, reconnected with his unit. Most significant to him was locating his best friend, William Billner, who had been captured during the incident in Isola. His life was enriched by the contact with his old buddies
02 Nov 2012 - Passed away
Blackwood, Billner, Smitty and the Italians
Reynolds, Blackwood, Billner, Smitty - Billner was best friend who was captured on the Isola patrol in Oct 1944
Billner, Smitty, Reynolds
Billner, Reynolds, Smitty, Blackwood
Betty and Joe
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