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| A Tribute in Honor of: |
| Joseph Francis Ganis |
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| Brief Military Record of Chief Warrant Officer Joseph F. Ganis, USAF Prior to WWII: Enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps January 31, 1940 His first duty was at Mitchel Field, NY. (When he went to the recruiting station his shoes were so worn that were almost falling off.) He left Mitchel Field after basic training and arrived by rail at MacDill Field, Tampa, Florida (that is where I am at now!) He attended Radio School at Scott Field, IL. In March 1941 he was sent to Morris Field, Charlotte, NC. At Charlotte, he was a radio operator on an airplane called the B-18 which was a bomber. This plane was discontinued later and not many were made. Around this time Joe met Rosa Lee Diggs at the YWCA at a reception for soldiers. In May, he made Corporal. In November, Joe married Rosa Lee. |
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| Then the war began... On Dec 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japs. Joe and Rosa Lee were at the Carolina Theater in Dilworth watching the movie ?Sgt York. That night he left for Charleston, SC. In June 1942, Joe took a test for warrant officer, and on August 15th 1942 he was made a warrant officer. On November 2nd 1942 Joe embarked from Staten Island for the Invasion of North Africa. He was on the ship "Santa Rosa" and landing at Casablanca. At this time he was in the 41st Service Group, 55th Service Squadron. While in the North African campaign, Joe was in the 52nd Fighter Group of the 12th Air Force. One of his commanders was the famous General Jimmy Dolittle. In North Africa he once lead a convoy of a hundred trucks many miles in the desert. The convoy was stopped by British soldiers who warned him of a mine field. Joe assumed a position in the lead truck and had the others follow in his tracks. All made it through. Joe left North Africa (La Sabala, Tunis) on May 13, 1943 and flew in a C-47 to Palermo, Sicily. While in Sicily, Joe saluted General George S. Patton at headquarters. Patton used his riding crop to return the salute. Soon afterwards, Joe was transferred to the 15th Air Force and was moved to Italy. When the war in Europe ended he was in Senegalia, Italy the same place his father had served while in the Italian Army many years before the war. He was going to be transferred to the Pacific to fight the Japanese when the atomic bomb ended the war. Joe continued to serve his beloved Air Force for twenty three more years. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. |
| LINKS: |
| 55th Service Squadron |
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| This page created July 13, 2003 |
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| Feb 6, 1913-Oct 22, 1993 |