Joseph Levinson was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1924. His family moved numerous times, but always within the city, so Joe attended a lot of different public schools there, including Volta, and Hivvard before graduating from Resin Orr Grammar School, and then from Von Steuben Junior High School. He then attended three different High Schools (Senn, Lane Technical, and Austin High) before dropping out, leaving home and going to work. He had enrolled in Northwestern University shortly before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor plunged America into World War II, but then Joe immediately volunteered for the Navy. Still only 17, he first had to go back home and obtain his parents...
Patriot Stories from the United States Army
HAROLD WEEDEN
Harold Weeden was born in Van Zandt County, Texas in 1933. When he was a small child, his family moved from the farm into the town of Terrell in Kaufman County. His family was musically talented and as he grew up he naturally took to picking guitar and learning songs his father taught him; but his father died when Harold was thirteen years old. When he was a tenth grader at Terrell High School and had just made first-string running back on the football team, Harold, the youngest and only child still living at home, had to drop out of school and go to work to support his mother and himself. His siblings, although young adults out on their own, were themselves struggling and...
FELIX B. SILVA, JR.
Felix was an Army veteran working as a Fire Fighter with Travis County when he was called to active duty with his unit in the Texas Army National Guard for deployment to Iraq. When he was wounded by sniper fire on February 10, 2005, he became the first T-Patcher of the famed 36th Infantry Division to have been awarded the Purple Heart since World War Two. This is his story. Felix Silva, Jr. was born in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1980, and he grew up there and attended public schools through age 17. He went to Driscoll Middle School and then, after completing tenth grade at Miller High School, he enlisted in the Army. Felix entered active duty on October 27, 1997 and after...
ROBERT S. DALTON
Wounded in Three Wars WWII 94th INFANTRY DIVISION PATCH KOREA 3rd INFANTRY DIVISION THE “MARNE DIVISION” PATCH VIETNAM 1st INFANTRY DIVISION THE “BIG RED ONE” Robert S. Dalton was born in Alpine, Texas in 1926. His father was a cowboy and Bob grew up on the Dalton Ranch in Palo Pinto County and in the nearby city of Graham, Texas (Young County) where he attended public schools. After 10th grade he had stayed out of school in anticipation of being called into the Merchant Marines, but; his Draft Notice came first. He reported to the Induction Station in Dallas, Texas on August 28, 1944 where he was sworn into service and immediately entered active duty in the Army. After his...
BRICE H. BARNES
Brice H. Barnes was born at Fort Ringgold, near Rio Grande City, Texas in 1941. His family lived in San Antonio during his growing-up years and Brice graduated from Highlands High School there in 1959. He enlisted in the Texas Army National Guard in 1963, subsequently volunteered for active duty and was selected for Officer Candidate School (OCS). He completed OCS at Fort Benning, Georgia, in 1965, received his commission as Second Lieutenant, Infantry on September 25, 1966, following which he attended the Jungle Warfare Course and other training, and then was ordered to Vietnam. Brice arrived in-country May 18, 1967 and served his first full-years tour with 2nd Battalion,...
JIM DEETER
James B. Deeter was born in Logansport, Indiana in 1938. He moved around frequently and attended ten different public schools during his growing-up years. When he enlisted in the Army in 1955 he entered active duty on July 22nd from Logansport. Patriot James B. Deeter passed away November 9, 2012 at age 74. He signed up for service in the 3rd Armored Division at Fort Knox, Kentucky because it had been designated as a gyroscope division being prepared for deployment to Germany and thats where he wanted to go. Upon arrival in the division, Jim was further assigned to the 45th Armored Medical Battalion and after his Basic Training at Fort Knox he went to Fort Sam Houston,...
RAMIRO MARTINEZ
Ramiro Martinez was born in 1957 in the lower Rio Grande Valley town of San Benito, Texas. During his Elementary School years, his family lived in the little village of La Paloma very near to the river; but, they had moved back to San Benito when Ramiro was going through Middle School and High School. Ramiro graduated from San Benito High School in 1975 and enlisted in the Marine Corps. After initial training at Camp Pendleton, California, he then trained for and was assigned to Force Recon. He stayed in the Marines for seven years, all in Force Recon and all but 13 months of which was overseas. In 1982, he took his discharge and went back home to San Benito. He then enlisted...
HENRY A. PAPKE
Henry A. Papke was born in Kenney, Texas (Austin County) in 1923. He attended Sempronious School and New Wehdem School, but; as the oldest son in the family he left school to help provide a livelihood on their farm. After his father died in 1942, Henry trained as a welder and took a job in the Brown Ship Yard in Houston in order to send money home to support the family. When his draft notice came, he took a deferment as the familys oldest child and only wage earner. However, he wanted to do his part in the war and, after six months, when the time came to renew his status, Henry turned down the deferment and was sworn into service in the Army at the Induction Station in...
TOM F. PRIDDY
Tom Frank Priddy was born in Iredell, Texas (Bosque County) in 1924, and died in Austin, Texas on June 27, 2006. His parents, Lee and Ruby Priddy were living in Priddy, Texas (Mills County) during WWII when Tom reported in to Induction Station, Dallas, Texas, where he was sworn into the Army on December 21, 1943. After his individual Infantry training and leave, he departed from home on May 25, 1944 and traveled to Fort Meade, Maryland where replacements were being assembled in anticipation of casualties expected to result from the impending invasion landings in Normandy. Tom was shipped out on June 15, 1944 and arrived in Europe on June 27th. He was quickly assigned to...
KENNETH R. KASSNER
**Ken Kassner was wounded during the assault to liberate the Iraqi city of Fallujah in November 2004. He returned to full duty this past January in order to deploy again with his battalion to Iraq.** Fellow Patriots: As a brief introduction, my name is Ken Kassner. A native Texan and Major in the Marine Corps, I currently serve as the Executive Officer of 3d Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, which is home based at Twentynine Palms, California. Earlier this year, I was inducted into your esteemed and historic organization after a dear friend of mine and fellow MarineJohn Gilliganpresented me with a gift of membership into the MOPH and Chapter 1919. John, who proved his...
HAROLD E. (HAL) LEWIS
Wounded In Two Wars: WW II EUROPE and KOREA Harold Elton Lewis was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1917. He grew up in San Antonio and graduated from High School there at age 17. In about 1936 he went to Houston and got a job with Grand Prize, a brewing company owned by Howard Hughes. After four years employment there the draft was instituted and, facing certain call-up anyway, he enlisted in the 36th Infantry Division, Texas National Guard just as it was about to be mobilized. The division was activated at Camp Bowie near Brownwood, Texas on November 25, 1940. After training there and participating in maneuvers in Louisiana, the division was moved to Camp Blanding, Florida...
FRANK W. DENIUS
Franklin W. Denius spent his early childhood in Athens, Texas where his family lived and where he attended public schools. As a young teenager, he went off to Schreiner Institute in Kerrville, a military prep school. He graduated there in 1942 and then enrolled, as a member of the Army Program for 17 year-olds, at the Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. After two semesters he enlisted in the Army and entered active duty June 3, 1943. Private Denius, after basic artillery training was assigned to the 30th Infantry Division. After training at various camps, the 30th Infantry Division moved to Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts; sailed from the Port of Embarkation in Boston...