Hi Armaan,
Thanks for your kind comments regarding my WWII ScrapBook project! The depth and breadth of the endeavor really changed when Joel presented me with that pile of photographic negatives, after we had been meeting every Sunday for approximately 18 months. I think it was at that point when I realized that I had been ‘given a mission’ so to speak, to organize and present all of his material in such a way as to do it justice. Anyway, I’m glad you found that post on YouTube which led you down the “WWII Scrapbook rabbit-hole” for a few hours!
It had originally been my intention to get the project published in a large format scrapbook-type presentation, utilizing all vintage style scrapbooking and ephemera from the 40s-50s, but the publishers to whom it was presented all said it would be too expensive to produce, and so I settled on the website idea, using much of the source material which I had curated to use for the original book.
Anyway, thanks again for your appreciation, which is what makes this all worthwhile for me.
Joel was 29 or 30 when he took that mortar hit on Biak in 1944! Most of the guys he served with were closer to your Dad’s age, around ten years younger than Joel. They all used to call him Pops! (At age 29!)
I don’t know if you saw the letters here that were sent from one of Joel’s buddies when the 41st were in the Philippines in 1944, after New Guinea. There are some very interesting details there.
I was locked out of the site and unable to view and respond to messages for several years (since around 6/2022). For some unknown reason I was able to log in today and get caught up, although there weren’t many messages. I have no idea how long I will be able to log in; and my time is running very short now due to illness. I’ll do my best to keep up with this, but I have been unable to find a way to ensure that this site will remain active after I’m gone.
Sorry it took so long for me to respond to this. I have literally been locked out of the site for several years thanks to no communication from the young man whom I had hired to keep the site maintained for me. For some unknown reason I was just able to log in to my administrator’s account here and approve all the comments that have been waiting.
Joel lived in the Bronx/Upper West Manhattan area, so not quite so close to Brooklyn, and I don’t think that he knew anyone personally who served in the 41st with him. It’s a shame he and your uncle never got to meet.
Hi Toby, it appears those photos are back on the site. For well over a year I have not been able to log-in and see new comments, or try to do repairs. The person whom I had hired to maintain the site for me has not replied to me in years, and so it is all a mystery to me as to how these elements of the site just vanish, and then appear years later. Anyway, I’ve published my personal email here; contact me if you can’t find the photos and I’ll try to locate them and send you copies.
Is the Guest Book Active?
Hi Paul,
Thank you for sharing Joel’s story in such a powerful and heartfelt way. Your writing is exceptional, you’ve not only preserved the events he lived through, but also the emotions, humor, horror, and pain behind them. If you hadn’t met him, these memories would likely have been lost forever, gone with him.
I discovered your YouTube channel through a comment you left on a veteran’s video, and I’m so glad it led me here. I ended up spending over four hours today night reading through everything in one go, I simply couldn’t stop. The scrapbook you created is an extraordinary tribute. Without the photos Joel took and you so carefully displayed, the story wouldn’t have felt as personal — but seeing those images truly helps readers imagine the reality of what he experienced, from the horrors to the quieter, more human moments.
Thank you for honoring Joel’s legacy with such care and depth. It’s work like yours that ensures these stories live on.
And, thank you for preserving his story so that others can remember, reflect, and learn.
I hope you are doing well these days!
Armaan
This is Paul Data (Paul Daiter), author of this site, WWII Scrapbook. I was sorting through some old links on my computer and came upon this page of comments, on this website which was a true labor of love for me for quite a few years. The site however is presently dwindling, as is my own health. Approximately a third of the site, including all of the unedited scans of the photos, all of Joel’s Army Documentation, a fantastic selection of original WWII era Letters from the Field from his squad mates once they had advanced to the Philippines after he had been wounded in New Guinea and shipped home, and many other aspects of the site are no longer loading, (EDIT: It appears these elements have been restored for the time being.) and as Mr Jarrett Confrey, the young man whom I had hired originally to help me deal with the formatting of the site design and ongoing site maintenance (I had all the design elements, but had never created a website before), has not been responsive to my numerous attempts to reach him in order to repair the site and also, as my own days are getting shorter, to try and get the site moved to a long term situation so that it will continue to be available after I’m gone. I am no longer able to login as administrator of the site (my passwords don’t work anymore), so there are many additions and updates that will have to go unposted…
Anyway, I just reread all these lovely comments that people have left over the years and it moved me to try to leave a note here, basically bidding adieu to you all and thanking you for your encouragement and readership. If anyone wants to contact me directly, I am still at acoustic.eclectic@gmail.com.
Joel was my uncle, my mother’s older brother. On an earlier online version of his book there were a number of wonderful photos of Joel with the Kovitz family at holiday dinners and also photos of Joel with his wife, my Aunt Pearl. I can’t find these photos in the current version. I wasn’t born when these pictures were taken, and nearly everyone in them has died. It would mean a lot to me if your could email me copies of these pictures. As I remember, there were 5 or 6 of them. Thank you. Toby Arons
My dad was in the 32nd Division, 126th Infantry Regiment (a Wisconsin National Guard unit) as a replacement. He arrived there in late spring of 1944 at Aitape. Later went to Leyte, Luzon /Villa Verde Trail (ended the war there) and into Japan right after the surrender. Discharged early 1946.
The stories were just variations on this except he didn’t have the mortar shell at the end. Hard to believe someone could live anything like a normal life after this experience, but he did.
He was age 20 1/2 when he was discharged after 2 years and 9 months of service.
I had an uncle who served in NG. He lived a few blocks from Joel in Brooklyn. I dont think they would have known each other but you never know.
They couldn’t have been more than 1000 yards apart from each other at any given time
My Uncle never spoke a word about it. not even the family really knows what went on there or what he saw. No one would dare ask anyways.
I found Joels stories facinanting. his vivid memories shines a bright light on
the hell of war and what these guys endured.
i also read what few books are out there on 41st infantry in NG, hollandia, Biak and the Philippine campaigns.
There is almost no other mention of these campaigns in history or even documentaries.
by doing this research I can track my uncle almost day to day through the 3+ years of torture they faced day in and day out.
Thank you Paul for keeping this site alive
Good Bless Joel and all who served keeping our country free
I met Bernie Kovitz several times, he was a wonderful fellow; and the affection between the two brothers was something I wished I had with my own brother… I know that Joel loved you and your wife Nancy a lot; he often talked about you and I know he wished he had a son like you.
If I know anything about the Kovitz kin, it is that they knew what it meant to love, and be loved, by their family. Sorry to hear of Bernie’s passing; I hope you and yours are well.
-Paul D
Paul – an amazing story and great job. Pls contact me reference some questions.
Thank you,
Cliff Haller
Thank you for sharing this man’s story with the world.
I would like to thank all the people that made this website, especially Mr. Joe for having the courage to face his demons and talk about his life in such a vivid way.
Hey Anthony! How goes it? I have finally finished editing the several hours of video interviews that I did with Joel in 2002; you can see them on youtube here: Part 1 of 9
Hi Paul .
Anthony from Australia been a long time since we spoke
Hope you well . Have tried to contact you a few times .
Still love reading your blog .
Hope to talk soon mate
My dad fought in BIAK, he never talked much about what he did, but i know if he was alive he would have appreciated what you have written. Nice job. His name was Glen. B. Gunter.
Hi Greg,
Looking forward to reading your book; glad I could contribute some useful photos!
Paul,
You did a fantastic job on “WWII ScrapBook, the life and times of G.I Joel”.
I have spent many hours reading Joel’s accounts, and watching the videos.
It would be nice if children in our schools would be able to learn of the situations men like Joel went through for our country. Fortunately, there are people like yourself who are willing to take the time and record these stories from individuals like Joel for us all to learn from and enjoy.
Once this “greatest generation” passes, your work will go on as a reminder for all.
I am currently working on a book about a trench knife that Joel had during training and would like to ask your permission to use 4 of your pictures, giving you and your site full credit.
Please contact me at your earliest convenience.
Thank you in advance.
Regards,
Greg Aloisio
My Father fought on Biak..He was in the 41st 186inf. He was wounded on June 10,1944.
He never talked much about Biak. I found all his info on a website.
This place was a real horror during WW2.
Wonderful!
Dave Doyle, thank you for your very kind and insightful comments. Bulgaria! How did you find the WWII Scrapbook website? Were you referred by a friend, or did you come across it by chance?
Creating this tribute to Joel was a true labor of love; his photos and fascinating stories presented me with a ‘mission’ to record and share it all with anyone who might be interested. Off-topic: Coincidentally, I played in a band for several years with a Bulgarian friend from Plovdiv who lives in the states. We played a lot of traditional Bulgarian and Roma music.
Here is a link to one of our recordings: Opa Zupa by Balkan Spirit
Enjoy!
Spent this cold wet Sunday here in Burgas, Bulgaria reading this amazing history of one amazing, brave, wonderful human being, Joel. I am humbled, sad, happy, amazed at all that this man went through in his life. Given his socialist leanings in his early life, did he think it was all worth it, or was he simply doing a job and trying to survive. I guess he was doing a job and trying to survive.
Paul you have done a fantastic job with this. Putting this man’s life into written words. Joel has passed on now i read. I hope God is good to him, that he is at peace and happy. He lived through an evil era, and it seems this evil hasn’t left us despite Joel’s heroic efforts. They would still send out the Joels of this world to kill and be killed in pursuit of power, they actually still do. Not one human being of whatever race or colour should have to go through what Joel did.
But the world never changes.
Thank you Joel and Paul.
The several years of grueling action in New Guinea (January 1942 thru the War’s end in August 1945) don’t seem to get quite as much attention from historians as some of the other, more high profile campaigns such as Iwo Jima or Guadalcanal. In fact, the Japanese had numerous airfields scattered throughout New Guinea, some of which posed a very real threat to Australia.
The Battle of Biak, (beginning in May ’44) in which Joel was badly wounded by a direct hit on his MG by a 90mm Jap mortar, was an interesting case in being one of the first instances of the Japanese ‘allowing’ the Allied forces unopposed amphibious landings on the beaches, and to make their way inland, where the enemy had numerous very well camouflaged and provisioned positions with which to ambush and otherwise harass the Allies’ further progress. This tactic proved very effective for the Japanese, and it was repeated at the Battles of Peleliu, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. The Biak campaign cost the Americans nearly 3,000 casualties, and ultimately gave the 41st (formerly the “Sunset Division”) their most famous nickname, the Jungleers. Biak cost the Japanese over 6,000 dead, and another 4,000 MIA and presumed dead. One cannot overstate the difficulties the Allied soldiers suffered in these Jungle campaigns, where they were for the most part under-trained, poorly equipped, and up against an enemy who had been preparing for them for several years…
My father was in company B, 162nd, 41st in New Guinea. Their experiences are hard to comprehend, their survival, amazing ! We shall be forever proud and appreciative of these men!
My son is with B-2/162. My Wife’s cousin (Deceased) was with the 162nd in New Guinea. He was wounded at Roosevelt Ridge. Good to see this site. RIP Sir.
Hello All,
I haven’t been able to log on to edit, moderate comments, update the site, etc for many months.
Good old Jarrett came thru for me (again) and fixed the bug. Thanks Buddy! 🙂
FYI, Joel passed away just four months before his 100th birthday. He lived an amazing, long and full life; he enriched the lives of everyone who was fortunate enough to have met him, and I am glad that I was able to chronicle some of his achievements, experiences, and superb photographs so they could be shared with you all. A couple of his photos were recently used in a History Channel series, “American Pickers”, in an episode that dealt with the 1918 US trench knife, which Joel took many excellent pics of. (The episode is called “Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall”; the photos are used in the first 10 minutes of the show.)
Anyway, I’m ‘glad to be back’ and able to do further updates and additions; in the near future look for more ‘video vignettes’ from my video interview with Joel. I still have approximately three hours of raw footage to sort through and edit bits that fit with the stories here.
Best,
Paul Data, WWII Scrapbook
This design is wicked! You obviously know how to keep a reader entertained.
Between your wit and your videos, I was moved to start my own blog. Wonderful job.
I really loved what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it.
Too cool!
Amazing site!
Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
I’m planning to start my own website soon but I’m a little lost.
Would you suggest starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for
a paid option? There are so many options out there that I’m totally confused ..
Any ideas? Many thanks!
Your style is very unique in comparison to other folks I’ve read stuff from.
Many thanks for posting this, I’ll bookmark this site.
Hello Paul,
My name is Alexandra V and I am a Visual Researcher for the TV show “American Pickers” on the History channel. I am contacting you because I found some images on your website that we would love to include in an upcoming episode of our show.
For allowing us to use your images we would be glad to list a credit for you at the end of the show.
If you are interested, please contact me as soon as possible on my email
Truly enjoyed browsing your site. My dad was a sniper with the 162nd (? I think) serving in New Guinea at about the same time as Joel. He too received a “battlefield” promotion to 2nd louie there. Also received Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
I wish I had some of the memorabilia he returned with, but he was always reluctant to relive his experience. I do remember him having a headhunter spear which my older brother ended up with.
They truly were Americas Greatest Generation. Thanks for the site. Wish I could find more like it.
Jim Crockett, DK2, USN
Great work on the site , read through it all today and just would like to say God bless Joel and thank you for your service .
Amazing site.
I’ve just sat down reading this small piece of art all afternoon.
Thanks for sharing this astonishing histories and pictures.
Congratulations from Spain.
Hey Paul!
Many congrats again on a great job–whatever you put your hand to–you do it really well… with heart/soul and deft execution! speaking of music… got any links to Data?!? Also, where are your cool Army men?!? I’d like to see those again…
Best to you,
Nile
Hello Paul! How are you my friend? It’s been a while have tried to email at times but with no response; hope you are well. Drop us a line will be glad to catch up. PS: Hope you still have the music!
Thank you Nancy!
I had the great honor of spending Sunday afternoons with Joel for six years; coaxing out and absorbing his stories, making prints from his photo negatives, eventually shooting several hours of video interviews for the clips included here. (Not to mention the two of us consuming large quantities of coffee and donuts at Krispy Kreme on West 72nd.) 🙂
This project was over ten years in the making; I wish you could see the original paper scrapbook mock-up manuscript that I prepared for print, and which became a ‘template’ for this site.
It’s a shame that paper publishing is waning; this would have been a superb large format book…
I was pleased to have got it all online in time for Joel’s 98th birthday in April 2012!
Best,
Paul D.
(acoustic.eclectic@yahoo.com)
In the process of doing research for the biography of a GI who served with the 41st in Papua New Guinea and the Philippines, I’ve been looking for first-hand information about our troops in New Guinea and our efforts to wrest the Japanese from the territory. But good information, especially of the 41st, is hard to come by. The struggle for New Guinea, as brutal as it was, is often overshadowed by other more strategic events in the Pacific such as Midway, Guadalcanal, Leyte Gulf, and Hiroshima. Nevertheless, New Guinea served up the worst conditions our troops had ever encountered and we lost more men there than on Guadalcanal. Our allied forces deserve the utmost respect and gratitude for their service and sacrifices there. This is why it is so fitting to see Joel’s scrapbook online for all to read and remember. I’ve spent the last two hours totally immersed in each chapter of Joel’s stories. He plants you right into the steaming jungles and putrid swamps of his daily life, never knowing if the next second will be the last. Graphic, brutal and honest, Joel’s is one of the best memoirs I’ve ever read about WWII in the Pacific! I wish it was in hard copy – I’d order it in a heartbeat.
Joel, as difficult as it may have been, thank you for sharing this part of history with me and the rest of the world. God Bless!
Nancy Reeves Casey
Joel, I knew you from SuCasa but never knew you were a WW2 vet. Thank you for your service, ( My Dad was a WW2 vet also) and for saving our way of life . My life was made richer knowing you. May God keep your soul in the palms of his hands and may he bless your family and friends.
Peace,
Sincerely,
Wally Bednarczyk.
Erudite and evocative this scrapbook is such a wonderful accomplishment. The photos and stories are breathtaking! Thank for bringing this labor of love to light for us to experience!
Joel, I have been searching for you for years! I hope this note finds you well. I am delighted to have found your scrapbook published online. I was just going through files and found your notes and letters, and decided to see if your experiences had ever been published. Please email me..
Love, Nancy
Joel, your scrapbook really brings me back to my youth. My Dad served in the Pacific and his naval stories were always quite colorful. Washing Machine Charlie was one he told time and again.
Though my Dad is now gone, you’ve provided a smile to me while reading your stories.
Thanks much –
Joe Paolillo
Really liked your WWII Scrapbook, thanks for the good read!
— Camilla
Joel, thank you so much for your services to this country. It was men like you who men like me have to thank. The website is amazing. The photography, the stories, man. I am envious of your taxi days, ferrying around Ginsberg, Kerouac, and Burroughs. And thank you Paul for capturing and saving Joel’s stories.
OUTSTANDING!! My Grandfather was in WWII and I met the author today. This site is definately something of value a person can get lost in.
Joel is my second cousin. I never saw any of these pictures before. I did see some of the family pictures here and recognized all of them. Amazing what the internet brings.
REALLY COOL SITE. HELPS TO REMEMBER HOW IT WAS AND THE ULTIMATE COST 0F FREEDOM.
Unusual and evocative WWII website. Fab Fotos!
Welcome Toby! I am glad you found this site, and that you are enjoying getting to know a part of Joel that you weren’t familiar with.
If you can, go visit with him at the VA in the Bronx; I’m sure he would love to see you!
Joel is my uncle. I’ve heard bits and pieces of these stories all my life, and was very moved to see his whole story. I know he was very anxious to see this in print.
Joel and his wife, Pearl, were a large part of my childhood. Joel used to tell me stories about Schleime Shovel, and of course, he made the most delicious blueberry buckwheat pancakes. As a child, I didn’t know about his war experiences or how they had affected him — he was always filled with energy and fun. I have a large collection of the wonderful photographs he took of our family when I was a child.
Thank you for working with him on this project.
wwiiscrapbook.com amazes me!
Fantastic. Love all the oddball stories, the pictures are amazing.
Thank you Betsy. I know you took a special interest in Joel while you were working at the VA, and I was sorry to hear that you were leaving. I’m glad that the nurses have become so interested in Joel’s past exploits; they also loved the photos, especially the ones that show off his ‘physique’ all those years ago… 🙂 Many thanks to the VA Hospital
Great job! The staff at the V.A. Hospital were happy that you came with the long-time-in-the-making WWII Scrapbook. They were impressed with the iPod – music you so carefully chose for Joel. You must have been very busy while at the hospital. It’s a thrill for me to be able to see Joel on-line. And, I was honored to see that you gave me credit for the ‘drop in the bucket’ contribution. (about as close as I’ll get to being published, probably.) I was sorry to miss you. TWO SPECIAL MEN!
Congrats, Paul. It’s totally engrossing, even for people like me who are not into war related stuff. Love the photos and clips and the short chapters. They’re like potato chips – you just have to have one more. Great stuff!
Paul I’ve only seen a small portion of the site and what I saw is amazing. When I have more time I will view the rest. You and your associate have done a superb job. I’m so happy that you stuck with the project and commend your efforts. Bravo!
Paul, what an amazing amount of information and detail; it will take me weeks to get through the whole thing. You and Jarrett are to be congratulated. I am stumbling through the site and absolutely impressed.
Wow Paul and Joel–this is quite the amazing and engrossing life-story… Brings new meaning to the tired old phrase ‘war is hell’–it’s a vivid and at times shocking account of what men will do to survive–and to survive their country’s idiotic warmongering… With the revelations on the total weirdness of Iraq (collecting body parts, posing with bodies)–some things never change…
Hi Armaan,
Thanks for your kind comments regarding my WWII ScrapBook project! The depth and breadth of the endeavor really changed when Joel presented me with that pile of photographic negatives, after we had been meeting every Sunday for approximately 18 months. I think it was at that point when I realized that I had been ‘given a mission’ so to speak, to organize and present all of his material in such a way as to do it justice. Anyway, I’m glad you found that post on YouTube which led you down the “WWII Scrapbook rabbit-hole” for a few hours!
It had originally been my intention to get the project published in a large format scrapbook-type presentation, utilizing all vintage style scrapbooking and ephemera from the 40s-50s, but the publishers to whom it was presented all said it would be too expensive to produce, and so I settled on the website idea, using much of the source material which I had curated to use for the original book.
Anyway, thanks again for your appreciation, which is what makes this all worthwhile for me.
Joel was 29 or 30 when he took that mortar hit on Biak in 1944! Most of the guys he served with were closer to your Dad’s age, around ten years younger than Joel. They all used to call him Pops! (At age 29!)
I don’t know if you saw the letters here that were sent from one of Joel’s buddies when the 41st were in the Philippines in 1944, after New Guinea. There are some very interesting details there.
I was locked out of the site and unable to view and respond to messages for several years (since around 6/2022). For some unknown reason I was able to log in today and get caught up, although there weren’t many messages. I have no idea how long I will be able to log in; and my time is running very short now due to illness. I’ll do my best to keep up with this, but I have been unable to find a way to ensure that this site will remain active after I’m gone.
Sorry it took so long for me to respond to this. I have literally been locked out of the site for several years thanks to no communication from the young man whom I had hired to keep the site maintained for me. For some unknown reason I was just able to log in to my administrator’s account here and approve all the comments that have been waiting.
Joel lived in the Bronx/Upper West Manhattan area, so not quite so close to Brooklyn, and I don’t think that he knew anyone personally who served in the 41st with him. It’s a shame he and your uncle never got to meet.
Hi Toby, it appears those photos are back on the site. For well over a year I have not been able to log-in and see new comments, or try to do repairs. The person whom I had hired to maintain the site for me has not replied to me in years, and so it is all a mystery to me as to how these elements of the site just vanish, and then appear years later. Anyway, I’ve published my personal email here; contact me if you can’t find the photos and I’ll try to locate them and send you copies.
Is the Guest Book Active?
Hi Paul,
Thank you for sharing Joel’s story in such a powerful and heartfelt way. Your writing is exceptional, you’ve not only preserved the events he lived through, but also the emotions, humor, horror, and pain behind them. If you hadn’t met him, these memories would likely have been lost forever, gone with him.
I discovered your YouTube channel through a comment you left on a veteran’s video, and I’m so glad it led me here. I ended up spending over four hours today night reading through everything in one go, I simply couldn’t stop. The scrapbook you created is an extraordinary tribute. Without the photos Joel took and you so carefully displayed, the story wouldn’t have felt as personal — but seeing those images truly helps readers imagine the reality of what he experienced, from the horrors to the quieter, more human moments.
Thank you for honoring Joel’s legacy with such care and depth. It’s work like yours that ensures these stories live on.
And, thank you for preserving his story so that others can remember, reflect, and learn.
I hope you are doing well these days!
Armaan
This is Paul Data (Paul Daiter), author of this site, WWII Scrapbook. I was sorting through some old links on my computer and came upon this page of comments, on this website which was a true labor of love for me for quite a few years. The site however is presently dwindling, as is my own health. Approximately a third of the site, including all of the unedited scans of the photos, all of Joel’s Army Documentation, a fantastic selection of original WWII era Letters from the Field from his squad mates once they had advanced to the Philippines after he had been wounded in New Guinea and shipped home, and many other aspects of the site are no longer loading, (EDIT: It appears these elements have been restored for the time being.) and as Mr Jarrett Confrey, the young man whom I had hired originally to help me deal with the formatting of the site design and ongoing site maintenance (I had all the design elements, but had never created a website before), has not been responsive to my numerous attempts to reach him in order to repair the site and also, as my own days are getting shorter, to try and get the site moved to a long term situation so that it will continue to be available after I’m gone. I am no longer able to login as administrator of the site (my passwords don’t work anymore), so there are many additions and updates that will have to go unposted…
Anyway, I just reread all these lovely comments that people have left over the years and it moved me to try to leave a note here, basically bidding adieu to you all and thanking you for your encouragement and readership. If anyone wants to contact me directly, I am still at acoustic.eclectic@gmail.com.
Joel was my uncle, my mother’s older brother. On an earlier online version of his book there were a number of wonderful photos of Joel with the Kovitz family at holiday dinners and also photos of Joel with his wife, my Aunt Pearl. I can’t find these photos in the current version. I wasn’t born when these pictures were taken, and nearly everyone in them has died. It would mean a lot to me if your could email me copies of these pictures. As I remember, there were 5 or 6 of them. Thank you. Toby Arons
My dad was in the 32nd Division, 126th Infantry Regiment (a Wisconsin National Guard unit) as a replacement. He arrived there in late spring of 1944 at Aitape. Later went to Leyte, Luzon /Villa Verde Trail (ended the war there) and into Japan right after the surrender. Discharged early 1946.
The stories were just variations on this except he didn’t have the mortar shell at the end. Hard to believe someone could live anything like a normal life after this experience, but he did.
He was age 20 1/2 when he was discharged after 2 years and 9 months of service.
I had an uncle who served in NG. He lived a few blocks from Joel in Brooklyn. I dont think they would have known each other but you never know.
They couldn’t have been more than 1000 yards apart from each other at any given time
My Uncle never spoke a word about it. not even the family really knows what went on there or what he saw. No one would dare ask anyways.
I found Joels stories facinanting. his vivid memories shines a bright light on
the hell of war and what these guys endured.
i also read what few books are out there on 41st infantry in NG, hollandia, Biak and the Philippine campaigns.
There is almost no other mention of these campaigns in history or even documentaries.
by doing this research I can track my uncle almost day to day through the 3+ years of torture they faced day in and day out.
Thank you Paul for keeping this site alive
Good Bless Joel and all who served keeping our country free
I met Bernie Kovitz several times, he was a wonderful fellow; and the affection between the two brothers was something I wished I had with my own brother… I know that Joel loved you and your wife Nancy a lot; he often talked about you and I know he wished he had a son like you.
If I know anything about the Kovitz kin, it is that they knew what it meant to love, and be loved, by their family. Sorry to hear of Bernie’s passing; I hope you and yours are well.
-Paul D
Paul, thank you for keeping this site going. Joel’s brother and my father Bernie (mentioned in Beginnings) passed away on Sunday. Here is his obituary https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/nytimes/name/bernard-kovitz-obituary?id=35204206
Paul – an amazing story and great job. Pls contact me reference some questions.
Thank you,
Cliff Haller
Thank you for sharing this man’s story with the world.
I would like to thank all the people that made this website, especially Mr. Joe for having the courage to face his demons and talk about his life in such a vivid way.
Hey Anthony! How goes it? I have finally finished editing the several hours of video interviews that I did with Joel in 2002; you can see them on youtube here: Part 1 of 9
Hi Paul .
Anthony from Australia been a long time since we spoke
Hope you well . Have tried to contact you a few times .
Still love reading your blog .
Hope to talk soon mate
My dad fought in BIAK, he never talked much about what he did, but i know if he was alive he would have appreciated what you have written. Nice job. His name was Glen. B. Gunter.
Hi Greg,
Looking forward to reading your book; glad I could contribute some useful photos!
Paul,
You did a fantastic job on “WWII ScrapBook, the life and times of G.I Joel”.
I have spent many hours reading Joel’s accounts, and watching the videos.
It would be nice if children in our schools would be able to learn of the situations men like Joel went through for our country. Fortunately, there are people like yourself who are willing to take the time and record these stories from individuals like Joel for us all to learn from and enjoy.
Once this “greatest generation” passes, your work will go on as a reminder for all.
I am currently working on a book about a trench knife that Joel had during training and would like to ask your permission to use 4 of your pictures, giving you and your site full credit.
Please contact me at your earliest convenience.
Thank you in advance.
Regards,
Greg Aloisio
My Father fought on Biak..He was in the 41st 186inf. He was wounded on June 10,1944.
He never talked much about Biak. I found all his info on a website.
This place was a real horror during WW2.
Wonderful!
Dave Doyle, thank you for your very kind and insightful comments. Bulgaria! How did you find the WWII Scrapbook website? Were you referred by a friend, or did you come across it by chance?
Creating this tribute to Joel was a true labor of love; his photos and fascinating stories presented me with a ‘mission’ to record and share it all with anyone who might be interested.
Off-topic: Coincidentally, I played in a band for several years with a Bulgarian friend from Plovdiv who lives in the states. We played a lot of traditional Bulgarian and Roma music.
Here is a link to one of our recordings: Opa Zupa by Balkan Spirit
Enjoy!
Spent this cold wet Sunday here in Burgas, Bulgaria reading this amazing history of one amazing, brave, wonderful human being, Joel. I am humbled, sad, happy, amazed at all that this man went through in his life. Given his socialist leanings in his early life, did he think it was all worth it, or was he simply doing a job and trying to survive. I guess he was doing a job and trying to survive.
Paul you have done a fantastic job with this. Putting this man’s life into written words. Joel has passed on now i read. I hope God is good to him, that he is at peace and happy. He lived through an evil era, and it seems this evil hasn’t left us despite Joel’s heroic efforts. They would still send out the Joels of this world to kill and be killed in pursuit of power, they actually still do. Not one human being of whatever race or colour should have to go through what Joel did.
But the world never changes.
Thank you Joel and Paul.
The several years of grueling action in New Guinea (January 1942 thru the War’s end in August 1945) don’t seem to get quite as much attention from historians as some of the other, more high profile campaigns such as Iwo Jima or Guadalcanal. In fact, the Japanese had numerous airfields scattered throughout New Guinea, some of which posed a very real threat to Australia.
The Battle of Biak, (beginning in May ’44) in which Joel was badly wounded by a direct hit on his MG by a 90mm Jap mortar, was an interesting case in being one of the first instances of the Japanese ‘allowing’ the Allied forces unopposed amphibious landings on the beaches, and to make their way inland, where the enemy had numerous very well camouflaged and provisioned positions with which to ambush and otherwise harass the Allies’ further progress. This tactic proved very effective for the Japanese, and it was repeated at the Battles of Peleliu, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. The Biak campaign cost the Americans nearly 3,000 casualties, and ultimately gave the 41st (formerly the “Sunset Division”) their most famous nickname, the Jungleers. Biak cost the Japanese over 6,000 dead, and another 4,000 MIA and presumed dead. One cannot overstate the difficulties the Allied soldiers suffered in these Jungle campaigns, where they were for the most part under-trained, poorly equipped, and up against an enemy who had been preparing for them for several years…
My father was in company B, 162nd, 41st in New Guinea. Their experiences are hard to comprehend, their survival, amazing ! We shall be forever proud and appreciative of these men!
My son is with B-2/162. My Wife’s cousin (Deceased) was with the 162nd in New Guinea. He was wounded at Roosevelt Ridge. Good to see this site. RIP Sir.
Hello All,
I haven’t been able to log on to edit, moderate comments, update the site, etc for many months.
Good old Jarrett came thru for me (again) and fixed the bug. Thanks Buddy! 🙂
FYI, Joel passed away just four months before his 100th birthday. He lived an amazing, long and full life; he enriched the lives of everyone who was fortunate enough to have met him, and I am glad that I was able to chronicle some of his achievements, experiences, and superb photographs so they could be shared with you all. A couple of his photos were recently used in a History Channel series, “American Pickers”, in an episode that dealt with the 1918 US trench knife, which Joel took many excellent pics of. (The episode is called “Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall”; the photos are used in the first 10 minutes of the show.)
Anyway, I’m ‘glad to be back’ and able to do further updates and additions; in the near future look for more ‘video vignettes’ from my video interview with Joel. I still have approximately three hours of raw footage to sort through and edit bits that fit with the stories here.
Best,
Paul Data, WWII Scrapbook
This design is wicked! You obviously know how to keep a reader entertained.
Between your wit and your videos, I was moved to start my own blog. Wonderful job.
I really loved what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it.
Too cool!
Amazing site!
Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
I’m planning to start my own website soon but I’m a little lost.
Would you suggest starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for
a paid option? There are so many options out there that I’m totally confused ..
Any ideas? Many thanks!
Your style is very unique in comparison to other folks I’ve read stuff from.
Many thanks for posting this, I’ll bookmark this site.
Hello Paul,
My name is Alexandra V and I am a Visual Researcher for the TV show “American Pickers” on the History channel. I am contacting you because I found some images on your website that we would love to include in an upcoming episode of our show.
We are interested in a few photos with the M1918 trench knife, found on this page:
http://wwiiscrapbook.com/book/operation-coffee-break/
For allowing us to use your images we would be glad to list a credit for you at the end of the show.
If you are interested, please contact me as soon as possible on my email
Thank you in advance for your consideration!
Here is the link to our show if interested:
http://www.history.com/shows/american-pickers
Best,
—
Alexandra V
Truly enjoyed browsing your site. My dad was a sniper with the 162nd (? I think) serving in New Guinea at about the same time as Joel. He too received a “battlefield” promotion to 2nd louie there. Also received Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
I wish I had some of the memorabilia he returned with, but he was always reluctant to relive his experience. I do remember him having a headhunter spear which my older brother ended up with.
They truly were Americas Greatest Generation. Thanks for the site. Wish I could find more like it.
Jim Crockett, DK2, USN
Great work on the site , read through it all today and just would like to say God bless Joel and thank you for your service .
Amazing site.
I’ve just sat down reading this small piece of art all afternoon.
Thanks for sharing this astonishing histories and pictures.
Congratulations from Spain.
Hey Paul!
Many congrats again on a great job–whatever you put your hand to–you do it really well… with heart/soul and deft execution! speaking of music… got any links to Data?!? Also, where are your cool Army men?!? I’d like to see those again…
Best to you,
Nile
Hello Paul! How are you my friend? It’s been a while have tried to email at times but with no response; hope you are well. Drop us a line will be glad to catch up. PS: Hope you still have the music!
Thank you Nancy!
I had the great honor of spending Sunday afternoons with Joel for six years; coaxing out and absorbing his stories, making prints from his photo negatives, eventually shooting several hours of video interviews for the clips included here. (Not to mention the two of us consuming large quantities of coffee and donuts at Krispy Kreme on West 72nd.) 🙂
This project was over ten years in the making; I wish you could see the original paper scrapbook mock-up manuscript that I prepared for print, and which became a ‘template’ for this site.
It’s a shame that paper publishing is waning; this would have been a superb large format book…
I was pleased to have got it all online in time for Joel’s 98th birthday in April 2012!
Best,
Paul D.
(acoustic.eclectic@yahoo.com)
In the process of doing research for the biography of a GI who served with the 41st in Papua New Guinea and the Philippines, I’ve been looking for first-hand information about our troops in New Guinea and our efforts to wrest the Japanese from the territory. But good information, especially of the 41st, is hard to come by. The struggle for New Guinea, as brutal as it was, is often overshadowed by other more strategic events in the Pacific such as Midway, Guadalcanal, Leyte Gulf, and Hiroshima. Nevertheless, New Guinea served up the worst conditions our troops had ever encountered and we lost more men there than on Guadalcanal. Our allied forces deserve the utmost respect and gratitude for their service and sacrifices there. This is why it is so fitting to see Joel’s scrapbook online for all to read and remember. I’ve spent the last two hours totally immersed in each chapter of Joel’s stories. He plants you right into the steaming jungles and putrid swamps of his daily life, never knowing if the next second will be the last. Graphic, brutal and honest, Joel’s is one of the best memoirs I’ve ever read about WWII in the Pacific! I wish it was in hard copy – I’d order it in a heartbeat.
Joel, as difficult as it may have been, thank you for sharing this part of history with me and the rest of the world. God Bless!
Nancy Reeves Casey
Joel, I knew you from SuCasa but never knew you were a WW2 vet. Thank you for your service, ( My Dad was a WW2 vet also) and for saving our way of life . My life was made richer knowing you. May God keep your soul in the palms of his hands and may he bless your family and friends.
Peace,
Sincerely,
Wally Bednarczyk.
Erudite and evocative this scrapbook is such a wonderful accomplishment. The photos and stories are breathtaking! Thank for bringing this labor of love to light for us to experience!
Joel, I have been searching for you for years! I hope this note finds you well. I am delighted to have found your scrapbook published online. I was just going through files and found your notes and letters, and decided to see if your experiences had ever been published. Please email me..
Love, Nancy
Joel, your scrapbook really brings me back to my youth. My Dad served in the Pacific and his naval stories were always quite colorful. Washing Machine Charlie was one he told time and again.
Though my Dad is now gone, you’ve provided a smile to me while reading your stories.
Thanks much –
Joe Paolillo
Really liked your WWII Scrapbook, thanks for the good read!
— Camilla
Joel, thank you so much for your services to this country. It was men like you who men like me have to thank. The website is amazing. The photography, the stories, man. I am envious of your taxi days, ferrying around Ginsberg, Kerouac, and Burroughs. And thank you Paul for capturing and saving Joel’s stories.
OUTSTANDING!! My Grandfather was in WWII and I met the author today. This site is definately something of value a person can get lost in.
Joel is my second cousin. I never saw any of these pictures before. I did see some of the family pictures here and recognized all of them. Amazing what the internet brings.
REALLY COOL SITE. HELPS TO REMEMBER HOW IT WAS AND THE ULTIMATE COST 0F FREEDOM.
Unusual and evocative WWII website. Fab Fotos!
Welcome Toby! I am glad you found this site, and that you are enjoying getting to know a part of Joel that you weren’t familiar with.
If you can, go visit with him at the VA in the Bronx; I’m sure he would love to see you!
Joel is my uncle. I’ve heard bits and pieces of these stories all my life, and was very moved to see his whole story. I know he was very anxious to see this in print.
Joel and his wife, Pearl, were a large part of my childhood. Joel used to tell me stories about Schleime Shovel, and of course, he made the most delicious blueberry buckwheat pancakes. As a child, I didn’t know about his war experiences or how they had affected him — he was always filled with energy and fun. I have a large collection of the wonderful photographs he took of our family when I was a child.
Thank you for working with him on this project.
wwiiscrapbook.com amazes me!
Fantastic. Love all the oddball stories, the pictures are amazing.
Thank you Betsy. I know you took a special interest in Joel while you were working at the VA, and I was sorry to hear that you were leaving. I’m glad that the nurses have become so interested in Joel’s past exploits; they also loved the photos, especially the ones that show off his ‘physique’ all those years ago… 🙂
Many thanks to the VA Hospital
Great job! The staff at the V.A. Hospital were happy that you came with the long-time-in-the-making WWII Scrapbook. They were impressed with the iPod – music you so carefully chose for Joel. You must have been very busy while at the hospital. It’s a thrill for me to be able to see Joel on-line. And, I was honored to see that you gave me credit for the ‘drop in the bucket’ contribution. (about as close as I’ll get to being published, probably.) I was sorry to miss you. TWO SPECIAL MEN!
Congrats, Paul. It’s totally engrossing, even for people like me who are not into war related stuff. Love the photos and clips and the short chapters. They’re like potato chips – you just have to have one more. Great stuff!
Paul I’ve only seen a small portion of the site and what I saw is amazing. When I have more time I will view the rest. You and your associate have done a superb job. I’m so happy that you stuck with the project and commend your efforts. Bravo!
Paul, what an amazing amount of information and detail; it will take me weeks to get through the whole thing. You and Jarrett are to be congratulated. I am stumbling through the site and absolutely impressed.
Wow Paul and Joel–this is quite the amazing and engrossing life-story… Brings new meaning to the tired old phrase ‘war is hell’–it’s a vivid and at times shocking account of what men will do to survive–and to survive their country’s idiotic warmongering… With the revelations on the total weirdness of Iraq (collecting body parts, posing with bodies)–some things never change…