Part 13a - Joe & Family

RAISIN'

Joe & Family

(James) Joseph Samuel Wood Jr. (Joe) was born June 6, 1931 at home, in Millry. He was originally James Joseph, but after I was born, his name was changed to Joseph Samuel, Jr., leaving James to me.

Joe attended Livingston State Teachers College (now University of West Alabama) for two years and Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University) for one year each, studying Civil Engineering.

We'd seen some work being done along the Millry-Buccatunna Road that didn't really look like it made sense to do. Daddy made the comment that Civil Engineers could do some weird things. Joe said, "That's what I think I'll be!"

He was drafted into the Army on June 23, 1952, during the Korean "Police Action" (War). Soon after his enlistment and completion of basic training at Ft. Gordon, GA, near Augusta, he applied for, and was accepted into Officer Candidate School (OCS). One thing that played an important part into his acceptance into OCS was the fact that he had been an Eagle Scout.

He was sent to Fort Belvoir, VA to Officer Candidate School (OCS). Upon completion of OCS, on October 20, 1953, he was commissioned to the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers. He was soon transferred to Metz, France.

While in Metz, he met a civilian from Denver, CO by the name of Betty Steele (Bea). They were married in a military wedding in France in 1956.

Their oldest daughter, Pamela Nicole was born in Frankfurt (Germany) Army Hospital. (By coincidence, our first cousin James Emert Wright was assigned to that hospital. He was Best Man in their wedding.) Joe had married and become a "Papa" before we met Bea.