 Joseph Anton
Katalinas, the first football coach at Camp
Croft was the son of Lithuanian immigrants. His father provided
for
his family of four sons by working in the coal mines of Shenandoah,
Pennsylvania. His mother diligently instilled faith in the Lord
and encouraged her boys to work hard in school for she knew a good
education would keep them from health-breaking years in the coal
mines.
All of the Katalinas boys excelled in athletics
and
after high school Joe was the second son to receive a football
scholarship
to Georgetown University. At Georgetown, Joe and his older
brother
Ed toughened up the Hoya’s front line. With the Katalinas boys on the
team
at the end of each season the Hoya’s wins exceeded
losses.
At Georgetown Joe met the future Georgetown Hall of Fame recipient
Charles
R. Cox’s daughter Regina, his future spouse and mother of his 9
children.
After graduation in 1934 Joe worked for the
Agricultural
Department and played on the Dixie Professional Football league
with
three pro football teams; the Maryland Athletic Club, Washington
Presidents
and the Washington Pros. In 1936 he attended extensive military
reserve training with the 317th Infantry Division at Ft. Mead in
Maryland. On July 10, 1940 Joe was called from reserve status. He
was assigned to Ft. Benning, Georgia for more training in the fall of
1940 and in 1941 to Camp Croft, South Carolina. He was at Camp
Croft on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.
After this horrendous event he spoke
to his football team and told them, “Men, we are winners, we’re
fighters,
we need to be over there and we need to help this Country win the war
and
we must all take the courage and determination we have shown
playing
football and now we must use that ability and defend our
Country”.
Joe Katalinas orchestrated many successful
battlefield
assaults. Some of his heroics are written about in the Infantry
Press
book entitled “Ours to Hold it High” a book about the 77th infantry’s
battle
at Ie Shima in the Ryukus Islands. It was in this campaign that
on
April 20, 1945 that Captain Joseph Katalinas of the 77th Division,
306th
Infantry was wounded four times because he personally led
his
company in a charging assault against the peak. Inspired by his
heroism
and determined leadership the company, without hesitation, followed him
through
the intense mortar and machine gun cross-fire and in a matter of
minutes
captured the peak and destroyed over one hundred enemy
soldiers.
Despite his wounds, Captain Katalinas reorganized his company on its
objective, issued instructions to his second in command, and only then
did he return unaided to the rear for medical treatment. For his
outstanding heroism Joe was awarded the “Distinguished-Service Cross”
and December 9, 1947 was
admitted to membership in the Army and Navy Legion of Valor
of
the U.S. of America”.
After Joe's wounds had healed he was assigned to
the
Pentagon where he formed the “Pentagon Athletic Club” in
1947.
His next assignment was with the 747th AU, USARCARIB School, Fort
Gulick,
Canal Zone. On January 21, 1951, during his service at the Canal Zone
he
again displayed his quick thinking and disregard for personal safety
and
assisted two officers who were exhausted in their efforts to rescue an
8
year old. Joe prevented the drowning of the two officers and the little
boy.
For this action he received a Commendation Ribbon for bravery.
Joe was then reassigned to the Pentagon and then to Korea
where
his sense of humor and fun was displayed when he was choppered in
as
Santa Claus for his troops. His next assignment was Camp Zama in
Japan
after which he was assigned to Ft. Ord in California, where on May 31,
1960,
he retired from active service and was transferred to XV US Army Corps
(Reserve)
with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Joseph Katalinas was a "giver." He was always
giving
something…his time, a little gift, a kind word of encouragement, a
smile,
a hug, sensible advice. He was a giver in the true sense of the
word,
a naturally generous man who never approached life with the attitude of
“what’s
in it for me?” He would lay down his life for God, his family,
friends, and he was a true American who did lie down his life for his
country. Joe never expected laurels or banners. He had a true
love for fellow man and
his final resting place in Arlington National Cemetery, in March of
1998
at the age of 84 1/2, is befitting to his worldly accomplishments.
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