Joseph Elliot Roach

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Bio

Joseph Elliot Roach was born on December 11, 1929, in Houston, Texas, at St. Joseph Hospital.

Joe attended St. Anne Catholic School and graduated from St. Thomas High School in 1950. Joe, along with many friends at St. Thomas, decided to join the Marine Corps Reserve in their Junior year because going to California for Summer Camp sounded like a good idea. However, this good idea backfired on them in May 1950 when the group was called into active duty. Joe was sent to Camp Pendleton in San Diego and then to Kobe, Japan, where he learned they were headed to Korea in August 1950.

Joe was in the third wave of the landing at Incheon. His unit reached the 38th parallel before returning to Incheon. At Incheon, Joe recalled that they were given 3 cans of Acme beer, which he said was “the worst stuff you’d ever taste in your life.”

Joe’s squad was sent to Chosin Reservoir, and on the way in, Joe didn’t get his winter shoe pack, although he got some shoe packs for some of his men. Joe was wounded in the battle with the Chinese Army at the Chosin Reservoir when he was shot while he was in his foxhole. Joe recalled it was so cold, he didn’t really feel the shot. Joe loosed all the firepower he had on the enemy before the enemy swept through and took him prisoner. Joe was made to march on frozen, injured feet miles to an enemy stockade. Three days later, after calming a frightened enemy guard, Joe was able to escape. He eventually found a friendly patrol who sent him to the field hospital. Joe was told by the surgeon to smoke a pack of Pall Mall cigarettes. Joe said he didn’t smoke and that the cigarettes would make him dizzy. The surgeon told him that was the idea since the cigarettes would be his anesthesia. Joe was taken out of Chosin, sent to the military hospital in Japan, and eventually sent back to the military hospital in Corpus Christi, TX. Joe is a member of The Chosen Few, Chosin Reservoir survivors in Houston. Joe lost part of his foot and never fully recovered from his injuries, but was forever grateful for survival.

Joe is proud of his service in the Corps and said that Marines were well-trained and learned discipline and how to take care of themselves and their buddies. He said Semper Fi is the camaraderie of the Marine Corps, and it makes you feel good.

After the war, Joe returned home to Houston, married Joann, and attended the University of Houston, where he earned his engineering degree.

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