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| PFC Joseph Tatsey served with the 35th Infantry Regiment at Vella LaVella. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31215756/joseph-tatsey http://www.cacti35th.com/history/1916-45/VELLA%20LAVELLA.pdf |
Joseph Tatsey, III never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
He was born on October 31, 1919 in the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Montana. His parents John and Belle were also both born in Montana. His grandfather was named Joseph, which probably explains how he is Joseph the Third. His father worked as a rancher and later as a trapper and still later as an Indian Service Road Project laborer. Joseph had a younger brother and sister. By 1940 Joseph had completed seven years of education. He married Agnes Whiteman in 1940.
He enlisted in the army on April 7, 1941. He became a private first class in the 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. The 25th ID was sent to Guadalcanal in November 1942 to relieve the marines who had been there since August.
On August 15, 1943 the 35th IR was tasked with taking Vella LaVella. The Japanese tried to stop the landing with Zero fighters and Val dive-bombers trying to sink the incoming landing craft. No ships were sunk, but 50 men were wounded and another 12 were killed, including PFC Tatsey. Vella LaVella would prove to be one of the less costly victories for the Americans - 150 men were killed in nearly two months of fighting.
His grave is at Saint Anns Catholic Cemetery in Heart Butte, Montana. His widow died in 1947.
Last year on this date I profiled Medal of Honor hero and B-17 navigator Walter Truemper. You can read about Walter here.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
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