Journey Through Service and Love: The Inspiring Life of Veteran Carl Joss

What if you could relive the pivotal moments of a life dedicated to service, love, and family through the eyes of a U.S. veteran? Join us on a heartfelt journey with Carl Joss, as he recounts his story from humble beginnings in Mishawaka, Indiana, through his service in the U.S. Army, to a rich family life with his beloved wife, Shirley. Carl paints vibrant pictures of his early years, marked by moves from South Bend to Chicago, the backdrop of wartime, and the loss of his mother. He fondly recalls teaching International Morse Code at Fort Knox and how an unexpected proposal led him to enlist, weaving a tale of romance and duty that captivates the heart.

As Carl shares his journey beyond the military, the narrative shifts to a rich tapestry of personal triumphs and enduring relationships. Listen as he reminisces about winning softball championships and the camaraderie of early married life, complete with Shirley's unforgettable culinary creations. Through the trials and triumphs of 38 years of marriage, Carl and Shirley's story highlights the unwavering importance of family, faith, and resilience. Their decision to return to Michigan reflects a commitment to health and family, echoing the timeless lessons of love and spirituality. This episode offers listeners an intimate glimpse into a life well-lived, full of wisdom and warmth.

Chapters

• 0:00 Life Stories From a US Veteran
• 10:22 Life After the Army
• 31:01 Lessons From a Lifetime Together

Transcript

Speaker 1: 1:00

Good morning. Today is October 16th, 2024, and we're talking with Carl Joss, who served in the United States Army. So good morning, carl, good morning. And, as we said, it's Carl with a K, correct? Okay, we'll start out. Real simple, actually Just when and where were you born?

Speaker 2: 1:19

I was born in Mishawaka, Indiana.

Speaker 1: 1:22

Okay, and what year? 1935. Okay, and what year 1935.

Speaker 2: 1:27

Okay, february 22nd.

Speaker 1: 1:30

February 22nd.

Speaker 2: 1:32

Yeah, Washington's birthday.

Speaker 1: 1:34

Oh, that'll be hard to ever forget. You'll get a card from me on Washington's birthday. So you grew up then in Mishawaka, Indiana.

Speaker 2: 1:45

No, I grew up in South Bend, okay, and during World War II we moved to Chicago. My dad worked for Studebakers and they sent him to Chicago, okay, and this was during World War II. And then in the Korean War, we did the same thing. We moved to Chicago and Shirley, her dad, works at Studebaker's also, and they needed to have a place to stay. And my dad said I think the apartment upstairs of us is going to be vacant. So they applied for it and got it, and that's how I met my wife. Oh, okay.

Speaker 2: 2:36

She was 15 and I was 17.

Speaker 1: 2:38

So you've known each other for a little while? Yes, we have. Well, let's back up then a little bit. How old were you when you moved from Mishawaka then?

Speaker 2: 2:50

Well, I was an infant, oh, okay.

Speaker 1: 2:54

All right.

Speaker 2: 2:55

We moved to South Bend. My grandmother owned a house and she rented that house to my parents. Okay, and I can just barely remember that house. Right, and I had an Uncle Joe. He's down there in that lower picture on the right-hand side. He lived in California and he bought me and brought me from California a cowboy outfit. Okay, I can still remember that. We don't have any pictures of it, I don't believe, but it was something special.

Speaker 1: 3:46

That sounds like it really meant something to you?

Speaker 2: 3:48

Yes, it did yes.

Speaker 1: 3:49

Now, did you have brothers and sisters? Nope, so you were the only child.

Speaker 2: 3:53

I'm the only child, yeah.

Speaker 1: 3:54

So, other than the cowboy outfit, tell me, like what do you remember about your mother? Like any like favorite memories?

Speaker 2: 4:03

Oh yes, my mother used to sing in the kitchen all the time, uh-huh and um. She died at 46 years old. She had cancer and died and um, well, she was sick in the hospital and I was supposed to go to Korea and my company commander said I don't need to, and after she passed away I remained in the US. I was a short-timer and they didn't want to send me over to Korea. Then, okay, and it was one of those things that was sad, but I was very lucky that I didn't have to go overseas. So I was at Fort Knox, okay, down in Kentucky. Yeah, all right.

Speaker 2: 5:15

And there I taught International Mars Code. And we had a school it was Intermediate Speed Radio Operator School, and I taught international code there. Oh, okay, and then I had a year left and Shirley and I got married in All right and we've been married 38 years. Oh, okay, yeah.

Speaker 1: 5:49

Now I want to back up a little bit, because you said your dad worked for Studebaker yeah Car company and he had to move.

Speaker 2: 6:01

South Bend yeah.

Speaker 1: 6:01

Okay, so tell me a little bit about your dad. What are some of your memories of your father?

Speaker 2: 6:07

well, I, unfortunately I don't have a lot of good memories of my father. Okay, um, the problem was he drank uh-huh and uh for the halloween and the days like that. He was never around, or when he did, he was blasted. Oh, okay. So I really don't have a lot of good thoughts of my dad, Except the one time I think I was a teenager, and he said something to me and I said something back to him and he went to hit me and I ducked and he put his hand through the wall.

Speaker 1: 6:57

Oh no.

Speaker 2: 6:59

I won't forget that oh.

Speaker 1: 7:02

I'll bet. I'll bet he didn't think it was very funny.

Speaker 2: 7:05

No, not a bit.

Speaker 1: 7:08

So you moved around a little bit. It sounds like for your dad's work.

Speaker 2: 7:14

Yes, during World War II we went to Chicago and we came back and stayed in South Bend and then during the Korean War, we moved back to Chicago again and we had a nice apartment. It was a duplex, upper and lower, and the people that owned the place- he was a butcher from Germany, and a lot of times during World War II he'd sneak us some good meat to have for supper.

Speaker 1: 8:00

That's not a bad thing at all. No, no, that's great. Yeah, now so did, that's great.

Speaker 2: 8:04

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 8:05

Now, did you so? Did you go to different schools when you were younger?

Speaker 2: 8:09

Did you? Yeah, yeah. Well, I went to kindergarten at Cayley School in South Bend, South Bend. And then first grade I went to. I had that. I'll think of it.

Speaker 1: 8:36

That's okay.

Speaker 2: 8:46

Anyway, I went to first grade and then during World War II, we moved to Chicago and I went to St Rita's there and then I think we were about I was about in the seventh grade. We moved back to South Bend and I went to Nooner Junior High School for the seventh, eighth and ninth grade.

Speaker 2: 9:03

And then we moved to a place called Roseland near South Bend and I went for two years in high school there and then we moved to Chicago during the Korean War and I graduated from high school from Chicago and this is something my graduating class in South Bend we had like 96 kids when I moved to Chicagoago my graduating class was like 300 or something what was that like?

Speaker 1: 9:49

for you, that's a big change oh it was yeah it was.

Speaker 2: 9:54

yeah, I had one friend that, uh, and I've lost contact with him over the years, but I remember the one time they came to visit Shirley and I when we bought our first house and he was amazed how beautiful the house was. Yeah, anyway, that's my story.

Speaker 1: 10:22

So how was school for you? Did you do well in school? Did you play sports, anything like that?

Speaker 2: 10:27

Yes, I played football. I played in football and in baseball. I played first base and I was much better at baseball. And I played softball also for the South Bend Police Head of League and the team I played on was in Pottawatomie Park and we won the league championship and I hit a triple once to win the game. Uh-huh, and that was the highlight, and I had my picture taken as our team and then I don't know if it's still there in the South Bend police station or not, but it was there for quite a while yeah.

Speaker 1: 11:45

So was it like the movies? Did they carry you off the field after you hit that?

Speaker 2: 11:51

No, but this year Clint hugged me. I'll tell you that.

Speaker 1: 11:54

Oh, I'll bet that's got to be a great feeling. You're the guy that won the game, yes yeah, wow, that's amazing.

Speaker 2: 12:00

Yeah, it was, it really was.

Speaker 1: 12:04

So you finished out school in Chicago and this is where you met Shirley. Yeah, now she was in the same high school as you.

Speaker 2: 12:13

No, she went to a Catholic school.

Speaker 1: 12:15

Okay, but she lived in the same apartment building.

Speaker 2: 12:18

Yes.

Speaker 1: 12:19

Okay.

Speaker 2: 12:19

Yeah, she lived upstairs.

Speaker 1: 12:21

Uh-huh.

Speaker 2: 12:24

What was it like when you first met her? Well, I'll tell you she was special, that's all I can say. She was special, and I think I was 17 and she was 15, only girl that I ever dated really Wow, and I think I was the only guy she ever dated. And then, when I was in the Army, I could drive home at least once a month, mm-hmm, and I could drive home at least once a month, and I think my parents still had an apartment there, and so I could stay there, no problem.

Speaker 2: 13:28

And then my dad moved back to South Bend after the war and her dad moved back to South Bend also. Okay, but he couldn't get his job. He had originally in Studebakers. He couldn't get his job, he had originally in Studebakers. So he ended up moving to Columbus, georgia, and he worked for a newly opened up plant and after they got the plant running, they canned them.

Speaker 1: 14:08

Oh my gosh.

Speaker 2: 14:10

And then so he moved out to California because one of his former employees that worked for him in Los Angeles said hey, come on out here, we can sure use you. So he did, and then eventually they sold the house that they had in Mississippi and he moved out there to California. Okay, and it really hurt my mother-in-law a lot to move and do all that stuff. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 14:45

I'll bet. Yeah, I want to ask you a question, though. So before we got started we were kind of talking and you had said that you had to do a stint in the Army before you could get married to Shirley.

Speaker 2: 15:00

Tell me about that surely tell me about that.

Speaker 2: 15:10

Well, her mom wouldn't let me have have her become my fiancee, okay, until I did a stint in the army, uh-huh. And so I enlisted for two years, okay, and? And after that we got married while I was still in the army, uh-huh, and. But Shirley was, I'd say, her mom was the boss, even over her dad. The mom was the boss, right. But then she was 19 and I was 21 when we got married. Okay, what's the can we? And yeah, so let's talk. And what's so funny too is that our oldest son he was he's born nine months and four days after we got married.

Speaker 1: 16:04

Oh goodness, you don't have to be an engineering mathematician to understand that math. Well, let's talk a little bit about your time in the Army. So you went to the recruiting station and you enlisted, and then did you go right away to basic training.

Speaker 2: 16:21

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 16:22

And then, where did you go for basic training?

Speaker 2: 16:24

I went to Fort Leonard Wood, okay, and then did you go right away to basic training? Yeah, and then where did you go for basic training? I went to Fort Leonard Wood, okay, and I was there for the full set of basic training. What was so funny is that we were on bivouac. It was like the last week and we had a six-inch snowstorm, oh man.

Speaker 1: 16:46

That's miserable.

Speaker 2: 16:48

Yes, it was. And then somebody called me to headquarters and they said Pack your stuff, you're going to go to Fort Knox. And I did, and they got sent me to Fort Knox and that's where I spent the rest of my time.

Speaker 1: 17:11

And what was your specialty then? What school did you go to there?

Speaker 2: 17:15

It was Intermediate Speed Radio Operator School.

Speaker 1: 17:18

Okay, and that's all the Morse code, right, yeah?

Speaker 2: 17:21

Well, it was more, that's a little bit of it Okay. Mostly it was voice. That's a little bit of it okay. Mostly it was voice. Oh, all right, and I think we had. I think he had to be able to do 17 words a minute before you could graduate from that school and well, we had probably maybe 60 to 70 people in the school and it was. I think it was about an eight-week school, not much longer than that than I don't think, and I kind of liked it.

Speaker 2: 18:12

I liked it there a lot the Fort.

Speaker 2: 18:14

Knox was a nice place and when we got married one of the fellows that was at school with me, he got out of the army and we just took over his apartment and I remember we had a bunch of the guys that I worked with in the army and Shirley made spaghetti and they just couldn't get over that. She was so good. She was a good cook then. Huh, yes, she was. Yeah, she still is, but she doesn't cook much anymore, right, it's time to relax a little bit right, yes, right, yeah.

Speaker 2: 19:37

that's why we're living here, because she doesn't have to cook anymore.

Speaker 1: 19:42

It definitely works out. So, this whole time that you're at Fort Knox, though, the idea is that at some point your unit's going to go to Korea. Right, yeah, okay, but then your mom got sick. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2: 19:59

Yeah, and everyone else, but I didn't have to go.

Speaker 1: 20:06

Right, but you stayed back and you trained other people on the radio then.

Speaker 2: 20:11

Is that?

Speaker 1: 20:12

what you did.

Speaker 2: 20:13

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 20:13

Okay, and that was kind of the extent. That's what you did right up until the time that your enlistment was up. Yes, okay, yeah. So you couldn't go to Korea, but you certainly could get people ready and give them the skills that they were going to need.

Speaker 2: 20:29

Yep.

Speaker 1: 20:30

Okay, yeah, and then. So what happens when you get out of the, when you leave the army?

Speaker 2: 20:52

there, I went to Studebaker's and I worked there I don't think a month and I got laid off because they were closing their doors.

Speaker 1: 20:55

Right, this is right around the time Studebaker was getting ready to.

Speaker 2: 20:59

And so somebody told me there was a job shop in Lansing that was hiring.

Speaker 1: 21:08

Lansing Michigan.

Speaker 2: 21:09

In Lansing Michigan.

Speaker 1: 21:10

Okay.

Speaker 2: 21:11

So I went up there with another guy and they offered us both a job. But the other guy didn't want to go to Lansing but I did and I worked for that job shop about two years. And one of the guys that used to be my boss, he got a job at Oldsmobile and he was there a month and he called me and said hey, come on over here, I got a job for you and I did, and I did, and I think I worked there maybe three years. I got promoted and I got a company car.

Speaker 1: 22:13

That's not a bad deal, that's a big deal.

Speaker 2: 22:19

Oh, yes, it is. And because my son-in-law, he got a company car but he had to pay and I didn't have to pay and I had a company car for, I'll bet you, 25 years. Wow, that's a great perk. It really was. Yeah, what kind of work did you do? A great perk, it really was. Yeah, what kind of work did you do? Well, actually, I was a contact person between Oldsmobile and Fisher body, so I was traveling from Lansing Fisher Body and I went to Styling and when I went up to Styling I was known as Mr Oldsmobile.

Speaker 1: 23:16

That's how they introduced you. Yeah.

Speaker 2: 23:21

Yeah, that was funny yeah now, this was the time.

Speaker 1: 23:25

Was this right around the time too? That, um, I remember that, like every year, they would change, change the models and they would have like a thing for the families to come see the new, the new cars. Were they doing that when you worked there?

Speaker 2: 23:40

yeah, yeah, the uh, we had a auditorium, a big auditorium, and the new cars they'd put on and they go around in a circle, yeah and um um. I don't think I took my family there hardly to see any. It was because we lived in Lansing and that was a good hour's drive because they didn't have the roads then that we do now. Right, right, and the only way I could get there was to take Grand River Avenue and go through all these little dinky towns and I'd say that was probably the reason that we didn't go there to see all that stuff.

Speaker 1: 24:34

Now, where did you live? In Lansing.

Speaker 2: 24:39

Well, we bought a house and it was in a subdivision and our daughter wanted a horse. So we bought her a horse and right after we bought her horse, the place that we boarded it, the guy sold the land and they're going to put apartments in there. Oh, no.

Speaker 2: 25:11

And what the hell are we going to do with this horse? Well, I found 20 acres and I bought the 20 acres and I built a barn and then I built my own house. I hired a contractor to help out at the beginning, but then I did all the finished work. So we lived there for 20 years. Oh, okay.

Speaker 1: 25:42

All right, the things we do for our kids right.

Speaker 2: 25:45

Yeah, and I had a beautiful cricketer. We called our place Winding Stream Stables, uh-huh, but we had this beautiful cricketer running right on through it and when I retired, we sold it. And when I retired, we sold it and we moved to Florida. We lived in Florida for 32 years and we bought a house on a golf course and I played golf five days a week. I had five holes in one.

Speaker 1: 26:27

Wow, that's a moment. My wife is still trying to get her first hole in one. She's the golfer in our family, but you've had five.

Speaker 2: 26:34

Yeah, that's amazing, yeah, wow yeah, well, I was a pretty good golfer, yeah, and so, anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Speaker 1: 26:47

Well, let's talk a little bit about your family. So you had your first child right out of the gate, nine months almost to the day, and so that was your son.

Speaker 2: 27:00

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 27:01

And so what can you tell us about him?

Speaker 2: 27:05

Oh, he's special Mm-hmm. He graduated from college, he got his master's degree and he was in purchasing Mm-hmm. He was director of purchasing, was in purchasing, he was director of purchasing and he retired probably five or six years ago anyway maybe a little longer, and he's got four kids.

Speaker 2: 27:42

And next we had our son, chris, and Chris lives in North Carolina. He graduated from the University of Michigan in engineering and he tried to get a job in Lansing and he couldn't find one that he liked, and so he found a place in North Carolina. Oh, and so he moved and Shirley and I went to go see him and here he rented this old beat-up trailer. It was ridiculous, and Shirley made him get his ass out of there and spend some money and get a real place.

Speaker 1: 28:26

He needed a little help to get there, huh.

Speaker 2: 28:28

Yeah, and so he did. And then he said, well, meet some girl at church. And well he did, but his wife is 11 years older than he is, oh goodness, yeah. But she had two children from a previous marriage but they never had any kids. Okay, and that's a shame, but she had her tubes tied after her second kid, right, right, anyway. So that took care of that. And then, after Chris, we have a daughter, kathleen. She's with Shirley Shopping right now, oh, okay. And Kathy, she's got three kids, two boys and a girl. And then we adopted another girl. Oh, and there's nine years difference between Kathy and Carol. Okay, I got their pictures up there, but anyway, carol, she went to school to become an x-ray tech and she worked probably five or six years and then when she got married, her husband, he was a fireman and then when he retired, he's selling fire trucks, oh, and he makes a bundle of money because all the firemen really like Matt. Yeah.

Speaker 2: 30:22

And so she retired, and she has a horse farm just like we did, okay. And she has. I think she's boarding four horses and I think she's got one of her own and she just bought a beautiful mare and she's going to take her on the circuit, I guess. Oh, yeah, yeah, this mare is big.

Speaker 1: 30:56

Now does she have quarter horses. Is that what she?

Speaker 2: 30:59

Yeah, okay, yeah.

Speaker 1: 31:01

Yeah, so it sounds like all your children were very successful I think so yeah, you must be, proud, yeah, and you've got so they're all still married.

Speaker 2: 31:12

That's the important thing, right right.

Speaker 1: 31:15

Yeah, well, you stayed married, right. I mean, yeah, you and Shirley have been married all this time.

Speaker 2: 31:22

Oh yeah, yeah, she's in my right hand.

Speaker 1: 31:27

Yeah, yeah. So how many years have you been married then? 38.

Speaker 2: 31:32

38 years, that's quite a stint, yeah yeah, I was 21, and she was 19. Uh-huh, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 31:47

Well, you have lived quite a life. You've done a lot of things. Did you do anything after retirement? You just played golf and relaxed.

Speaker 2: 31:55

Yeah, that's right.

Speaker 1: 31:58

Well, that's good. So what brought you back to Michigan? Well, that's good, and then.

Speaker 2: 32:03

So what brought you back to Michigan? Well, because I had to go on dialysis.

Speaker 1: 32:09

Okay.

Speaker 2: 32:12

I'm on dialysis three days a week and our kids wanted us to come back here, so we did.

Speaker 1: 32:19

Yeah, it's always good to be around family. At least I think yeah anyway all right, well, you know, um, before we wrap up our conversation today, um, I do want to ask you just one final question, um, and that is for someone who's listening to this story years from now. Um, what, what lesson or what would you like them to take away from our conversation and really from your life? What advice would you give to people?

Speaker 2: 32:53

Well, I'll tell you, our religion is what saved us. Uh-huh and Shirley and I both feel you can't do anything without God, and that's the thing that I want our kids to remember is that don't forget about God, because that's the saving grace for us.