Joseph F. Flake
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
Joseph F. Flake entered the Army on April 15, 1942, at Fort Snelling, Minn. Home at entry: Ely, Minn.
He served as a Technician 5th Grade and military policeman in Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno, and North Apennines.
Mr. Flake shared the following:
"I attended basic training at Shepard Field, TX, and further training at Macon, GA. My furlough after basic training was cut short to be sent overseas. I left Newport News, VA, on the Mariposa liner, a converted troop ship, with a contingent of 8,000 men. First we went to South America, then across the Atlantic Ocean, past the cape of Good Hope and up the Red Sea to the Suez Canal."
"From there we went to Heliopolis where we were quarantined for six weeks because one soldier came down with smallpox. The first night in the desert our tents all blew away. We then learned from the experienced British soldiers how to bivouac in the desert. We spent some time in Cairo before starting across the Libyan Desert with the British 8th Army, who had just defeated German General Rommel at El Alamein. From there we went to Tobruk and Tunis with the 12th American Air Force. We then flew to Foggia, Italy; north to Rome and on to Florence. Our Company photographer was one of the photographers to photograph the capture and death of Italian General Mussolini and party."
"When we were in Rome, we had a chance to go to the Isle of Capri and while there Mt. Vesuvius erupted. I was able to spend a week sightseeing in Switzerland. Returning to Ely, I went back to Pioneer Mine as a contract miner and remained there until it closed in March 1967, then to Minn Tac Mine in Mt. Iron retiring in January 1981."
He was awarded the following: Good Conduct Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three bronze battle stars, and five overseas service bars.
Mr. Flake was honorably discharged on October 14, 1945, at Camp Grant, Ill.
Source: Hometown Heroes: The Saint Louis County World War II Project, 355.
