That Joe Toye, yeah, I heard things about him. Born in, what was it, 1919, died in ’95. A tough one, that Joe. He was in that Easy Company, some big shot army thing, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment or somethin’ like that. Heard he got hit bad, not once but twice by them grenades, but he made it. Tough as nails, that one.
They gave him some shiny medals. One they call a Bronze Star, somethin’ about bein’ brave at some fancy place, Brecourt Manor. And a Silver Star, too. And get this, four Purple Hearts! That means he got hurt, real bad, four times! He was in some big war, fightin’ them Germans. One time, a grenade, you know, those things that go boom, landed right between his legs. But that Winters fella yelled at him, so he got away with just a little scratch. Another time, another one of them boom things almost got him. But he lived. His helmet, though, that thing had some stories to tell, all banged up.
Where did that boy come from? Some place called Hughestown, over in Luzerne County. His daddy, Peter, and his mama, Beatrice, they had a tough life. His daddy worked in them coal mines, real dirty work. Joe, he didn’t even finish school. Left during his junior year, whatever that is. Then that Pearl Harbor thing happened, and he went off to the army. December 11, 1941, that’s when he signed up. Went off to fight in that big World War.
He joined that Easy Company, 101st Airborne. That’s where he got into all them fights. They say he jumped outta airplanes with a parachute, right into the war! Can you imagine? I can barely get down the porch steps these days.
- He was in Easy Company
- That’s in the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment
- Part of the 101st Airborne Division
- That means he jumped out of planes to fight in the war!
After all that fightin’, Joe spent a long time in them hospitals. Nine months, they say. Finally got out in ’46, from some hospital in Atlantic City. Before the war, he was just a coal miner, like his daddy. Hard work, that is. But that war, it changed him. He was always busy, you know, that fella, always doin’ somethin’
There’s this thing, a show, I think, called “Band of Brothers”. It’s all about him and his army buddies. They say it shows how brave they all were. And how they stuck together, like brothers, even though they weren’t. Second episode, that’s the one about Normandy. That was some big fight, I hear.
Joe Toye, he was somethin’ else. A real hero, even if he was just a simple fella from Pennsylvania. They don’t make ’em like that anymore. That war, it was a terrible thing, but it showed what folks are made of. And Joe, he was made of strong stuff, that’s for sure.
They say he was a good man. Worked hard, fought hard, lived hard. And he had that bond with his army buddies. They were like family, through thick and thin. That’s what war does, I guess. Brings folks together in ways you wouldn’t expect.
- He was a good man.
- He worked hard.
- Fought in the war.
- Had good friends in the army.
That Joe Toye, yeah, a name to remember. A simple man who did extraordinary things. And that’s somethin’, ain’t it? To be remembered for what you did, not just who you were. He was more than just a coal miner’s son. He was a hero, plain and simple. And that show, “Band of Brothers,” they got that right. They showed the world what Joe and his buddies did. And that’s a good thing. A real good thing.
He was a tough guy, that Joe Toye. Didn’t let nothin’ get him down. Not even them grenades. He just kept on goin’. That’s the kind of spirit we need more of these days. Folks givin’ up too easy. But not Joe. He fought for what he believed in. And he fought for his friends. That’s what matters, in the end.
- Joe Toye was tough.
- He never gave up.
- He fought for what he believed in.
- He fought for his friends.
So, yeah, that Joe Toye. Heard a lot about him. Seems like a good man. A brave man. The kind of man you’d want on your side, in a fight or just in life. They don’t make ’em like that anymore. Not many, anyway. Not many at all.
