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By: Ben
1-4-06
Joseph Kaplan
Full Name: Joseph John Kaplan
Rank: Private
Service Branch: Army
War: WWII
Brief Job Description: Military Police
Joseph Kaplan was born in Braddock, Pennsylvania in 1932. Braddock is also where he grew up and lived until he
went to war. He attended Braddock Junior High and then quit school to support
his family. He liked school and he was a good student. He enjoyed playing
softball, football, and swimming in his early ages.
Joseph Kaplan was drafted at the age of 19
and did not know what of think of it, he had never thought about the military
before. The war had been going on for five years so he did have knowledge of
the war and where he would most likely be stationed. He was afraid but did it
out of love for his country. He received his basic training in Camp Attersbury, Indiana. He was basically trained how to fight and defend himself. He
did not request his specific job but received it and was an MP ever since. He
did not have any specific skills but when he finished his army training he
had MP training. His experience there was like being a policeman at home but
in the way as in an army man. He did not meet any friends because he only saw
them for six weeks and then they were all shipped somewhere else. The
military was okay the food was both god and bad but it was good to eat. The
rules were just the same as at home but we didn’t always talk back and they
were army reflected. The hours were long but he had to get used to it. In his
free time he cleaned his rifles and slept. His uniforms that were issued to
him were dress clothes, work clothes, and field clothes. The dwellings
provided were WWII barracks and they were all wood. The weather was cold in
winters and hot in the summers.
He traveled through the war zone on a big
boat. And he first arrived in the war zone in Bremen, German.
This was his first experience in a foreign country and his impression was
once he got there they started it all back up again the war that is. He was
stationed in Braddock, Germany. His unit did no have a name and he does not remember when his
tour began but, his unit consisted of ten people and his job duties were to
protect the citizens of Braddock. He was in Germany and the war was far away so there really were no frontlines and
he never heard about or saw the enemy. He does not remember most of his
experiences but he enjoyed firing all the new types of weapons that he had
never saw or fired before. He was not especially good or bad at any part of
his jobs. His officers were harsh and strict but new what they were talking
about. He was not involved in any battles or any things of that sort thing.
He lived in a cabin with four other men the weather was normal and he did not
have any special friends. He never had
contact with anyone after the war. He knew he would survive because he was
not in any serious battles. He never had to change or learn new jobs. He
never met any POW’s. He never heard news about the war. The most impressive
weapon he ever saw was the machine gun and he got to use it once or twice. He
never saw any weapons of enemies. The most impressive place that he saw was
the German Barracks. He went to Germany, France, England and California. He doesn’t remember any funny moments. And he ate food from
all kinds of different restaurants. He had a week off so He took a trip to France and enjoyed it. He never met anyone famous. He never attended a
USO show. And when his tour ended he felt great. He wrote to his wife and
family. He did not have any promotions, medals, or citations. He traveled
home by ship and plane. His wife was waiting for him when he got home.
His job when he got home was a council
member the highest rank he received was a craftsmen and he helped build the
community church. The best place he was stationed in the war was Germany.
When he was discharged he went back to his
civil duties. His first job after he was discharged was working at Benjamin
Moore Painting. He met his spouse on a blind date on April 1.His spouse is
Victoria Kruck (Boo Boo).
His children and grand children are all good kids his children are Joseph
John Kaplan Sr., Debra Kaplan, and Karen Kaplan. His grandchildren are Daniel Sherman Peak, Jeremy Joseph Peak, Justine
Marie Kaplan, Alan Joseph Krusinski, Benjamin Harold Peak, Max
Andrew Krusinski, and Matthew Michael Peak. His
career was working at Benjamin Moore Painting and then retiring. He has lived
in Ohio and Pennsylvania. His hobbies are camping and trains.
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