

During the attack, they were in the trenches of the third gun, when a German Potato Masher landed right between his legs. 45.Īfter reaching the town, Toye was selected by Winters to participate in the attack on Brecourt Manor. In the battle, Guarnere wounded a horse Toye put it out of its misery with his Colt. He helped take out a German patrol wagon on their way to the town of Ste. Carwood Lipton, and two 82nd Airborne Soldiers named Joe Dean Olsen and McDowell. Hall, later killed by a landmine, Sergeant. Richard “Dick” Winters , Private John Derrick. He and the group then met with 1st Lieutenantt. Private Robert “Popeye” Wynn, who died 18-03-2000, aged 78, in South Hill, Mecklenburg County, Virginia and Private Donald “Don” Malarkey After landing, Toye grouped with Sergeant William “Wild Bill” Guarnere, He suffered a severe hand injury from his drop because the ropes around his parachute dug tight into his hand. On the eve of D-Day, following months of preparation for the invasion of Europe, Toye and the 101st parachuted into Normandy. On the sea voyage to England, Toye explained he was glad he was going to Europe, because if he could kill Hitler, “President Franklin Roosevelt would rename Thanksgiving Joe Toye Day, and pay him ten grand a year for the rest of his life”. After training and completing the jump at Fort Benning Toye and the rest of the 101st continued training, before moving out to England. He was stationed at Camp Toccoa, Georgia, and assigned to Easy Company in the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment 101st Airborne under command of General Maxwell Taylor. After training, Toye decided he wanted a bigger salary and volunteered for the Paratroopers. Toye enlisted in the army on 11-12-1941, age 22, at Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

In his junior year of high school, his father made him drop out so he could work at the coal mines. He recorded the presentation and plans to use the footage in future classes.Toye, Joseph J “Joe”, born 14-03-1919, in Hughestown, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, to Peter Toye, and Beatrice McTighue Toye. Grenz said he heard Compton speak at a retirement center in Burlington and he has been working with him since the start of the year to find a suitable date. Teacher Ryan Grenz said students have been studying the Holocaust and are getting ready to learn about Japanese internment camps. “I wouldn’t trade it for a million dollars,” Compton said, encouraging all males to give at least two years of military service. “He’s the most unpretentious nice guy you’d ever want to meet,” Compton said of the late president.Ĭompton said he considered his years in the military one of the best times of his life. He also talked about his appointment to the California Court of Appeals, complimenting the man who named him to the bench - then Gov. He explained to the students how he ended up prosecuting Sirhan Sirhan. History College Prep class and classmates from a neighboring English class.Įven after World War II, Compton was part of several noteworthy events. The students listening to Compton were part of Ryan Grenz’s U.S. Junior Emily Burchfield said it was nice hearing so many stories from Compton and she was surprised at how friendly and open he appeared. “His attitude was enlightening,” Junior Dalton Engle said after the question and answer session. More than 60 juniors crammed into teacher Ryan Grenz’s classroom to hear Compton speak. “If left to my own devices, I would have retired as a cop,” Compton said, adding that his wife thought it was better to start practicing law so he switched over to the district attorney’s office.

He didn’t hesitate to say a police officer. “Lynn was a girl’s name and I hated it.”Īnother student asked which was more enjoyable, being a soldier or a police officer. On a lighter note, someone asked how he got his nickname “Buck.” The answer is simple:
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He said he continued with plans to play professional baseball, but ultimately wanted to attend law school and become a police officer. He didn’t have trouble readjusting to life outside of the military. “When I got hit with the bullet, it was like I was getting hit with one of those paddles,” Compton said.
