Written by Martha Neal.
On June 5, 2023 the Town of Wake Forest raised a flag in honor and memory of Joseph Anthony De Lois, father of Lorraine De Lois, an employee in the University Cashier’s Office.
On the first Monday of the month, from April to October, the town joins efforts with several local veterans’ organizations to honor the sacrifices of deceased Wake Forest veterans and their families. This service is provided at no cost, and its sole purpose is to pay tribute to the service and memory of the veteran, while also acknowledging the sacrifices of their family. After raising the American flag, an Honor Guard raises the service flag representing the military branch in which the honoree served.
Both flags fly in Centennial Plaza throughout the remainder of the month. Although Mr. De Lois served in the Navy, Army and National Guard, he was honored in June for his service in the Army. At the next ceremony on July 10, 2023, his flag was lowered and presented to his family as a keepsake.
Following is a synopsis of the speech Lorraine gave at the flag ceremony:
“Our Dad was born in 1924 and raised in Binghamton, NY. He was the youngest of seven children. Orphaned by the age of 11, he enlisted in the Navy at 16. In the Navy, he lost two ships, an old four-stack destroyer DD244 and another destroyer called the Perkins. After losing two ships, it is no surprise that he requested shore duty.
He was assigned to the Seabees and joined the 20th Battalion at Camp Parks. In February of 1945, his unit was shipped to Saipan, where he received advanced training in firearms, heavy equipment and bridge building. In March, he left Saipan on a tank landing ship. One month later, he arrived in Okinawa. While in Okinawa, he operated a large dipper stick power shovel in the coral pits. Those men built an airstrip in 24 hours. He remained in Okinawa, through three typhoons from April to November, repairing the holes that the enemy had made in the airstrip again and again. He was discharged from the Navy to very little fanfare, the day after Christmas in 1945.
On a bet with his brother in law, he took the civil service test to become a police officer. He passed it and joined the Binghamton Police force. While working as an officer for the Binghamton Police Department, he was called back into service for the Korean Conflict. He had the choice of going back into the Navy or the Army. He chose the Army because, and I quote, “I had seen enough of the water.” After serving a year in Korea, he was sent to Fort Dix, NJ to serve as the First Sergeant of a Basic Training Company where he remained for six months before being sent to Trieste, Italy. He remained in Trieste until 1953 when they had to evacuate. After a stint in Germany, he returned to the States in April of 1955 where he was again assigned to Fort Dix as First Sergeant of the Headquarters Division Training Center.
With all of his comings and goings and various deployments, he somehow managed to meet our mom on a blind date. She was training as a nurse in Trenton, NJ. They were married on April 21, 1956, and remained married for 63 years until he passed away in 2020. Through all the twists and turns, near misses, tragedies and triumphs, Hollywood could not have written a better love story. In 1957, he was transferred to Syracuse, NY to serve as an Advisor to the Army Reserve. Two years later, he was reassigned to the state of Washington, all to go back to Korea again, where he remained for 13 months. After this second tour in Korea, he returned to the States and was again assigned to Fort Dix as First Sergeant of Company A, 86th Engineering Battalion. From there, he was later transferred to Camp Drum, NY to repair and build ranges. In April of 1962, he was discharged with 20 years of service. Twenty years of service to our country was not enough for my dad. He enlisted in the New Jersey Army National Guard as First Sergeant and full-time Technician. After serving in various Armories throughout the state, he retired with nearly 40 years of service. He also spent 18 years on the Budd Lake First Aid and Rescue Squad.”
Lorraine concluded her speech with, “If you knew him personally, you would be better for it.” And she is absolutely correct. My children and I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with Mr. De Lois in 2017, and it is a day and an experience I will never forget. We listened in awe as he told us stories such as how he forged his older brother’s signature in order to enlist at age sixteen and how at seventeen he was in Pearl Harbor warming up with his ship mates for a baseball game when the Japanese attacked. He described running across a field towards the docks, a scene that was re-enacted in the movie Tora! Tora! Tora!
Welcomed into his home, Mr. De Lois took us upstairs to his office, where he shared photos, memorabilia, and his memories. What stays with me most to this day, aside from his courage and bravery, was his humility He did not see himself as a hero; he was simply serving his country, his community, and his family. He served from his heart because it was the right thing to do, and he asked for nothing in return.
May his memory and his name, Joseph Anthony De Lois, be a blessing and remembered along with all the brave men and women of the Armed Forces who have served and continue to serve selflessly to protect our freedom.
