thedrifter
05-19-09, 07:27 AM
WWII vet honored for courageous service
By Brandon Oland, Times Staff Writer Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Visitors to the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Va., can gaze at a statue commemorating the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.
The iconic memorial, based on a scene captured by war photographer Joe Rosenthal, depicts five Marines and one Navy Corpsman raising a U.S. flag on top of the 546-foot Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima island.
Retired Marine Joe Noll doesn’t need to look at that statue to comprehend the significance of the bloody battle.
He saw it first hand. He fought in it.
Noll participated in four island invasions in the Pacific Theater during World War II.
Noll was named the Hometown Hero for the College Square Branch of New Windsor State Bank in Westminster.
The business is honoring five individuals in Carroll who made a difference.
Union Bridge historian Jake Altvater said he nominated Noll to be a Hometown Hero because of his two years of courageous service with the Marines.
Altvater writes profiles detailing the experiences of World War II veterans.
He said it’s vital to learn from them before it’s too late.
“When they are gone, their lips are sealed forever,” he said. “That’s why I’ve been trying to get their stories.”
Noll, 88, doesn’t mind talking about his war experiences, even though most of his recollections are gruesome.
He watched comrades die in fox holes three feet away from him.
He rescued more than 50 wounded civilians from a cave with gunfire and explosions booming all around him.
Of the 48 Marines in Noll’s Fourth Division who battled in Iwo Jima, just 13 survived.
Noll, himself, was wounded by shrapnel in his shoulder during the war. He treated it himself and kept fighting.
“I considered myself really fortunate [to have survived the war],” he said. “I’ve always said I must have had the Lord on my side.”
Noll volunteered for service, even though it interrupted a potentially promising athletic future.
Noll grew up a three-sport athlete in Baltimore and was offered a scholarship to play football at the University of Maryland.
He played baseball during down time between deployments in World War II and credits athletic competitions for helping him return to everyday life after completing his tour of duty.
Noll ran his own construction company for 35 years near Baltimore.
He is retired and lives with his wife Betty in a fourth-floor apartment at Carroll Lutheran Village.
While in the Marines, Noll dodged enemy gunfire in the quest to secure high ground on the Pacific islands.
These days, Noll gets to look down on his surroundings.
Noll’s living room window features a spectacular view of nearby houses, hills and valleys.
“We are truly blessed,” he said.
Reach staff writer Brandon Oland at 410-857-7862 or brandon.oland@carrollcountytimes.com
Ellie
By Brandon Oland, Times Staff Writer Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Visitors to the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Va., can gaze at a statue commemorating the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.
The iconic memorial, based on a scene captured by war photographer Joe Rosenthal, depicts five Marines and one Navy Corpsman raising a U.S. flag on top of the 546-foot Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima island.
Retired Marine Joe Noll doesn’t need to look at that statue to comprehend the significance of the bloody battle.
He saw it first hand. He fought in it.
Noll participated in four island invasions in the Pacific Theater during World War II.
Noll was named the Hometown Hero for the College Square Branch of New Windsor State Bank in Westminster.
The business is honoring five individuals in Carroll who made a difference.
Union Bridge historian Jake Altvater said he nominated Noll to be a Hometown Hero because of his two years of courageous service with the Marines.
Altvater writes profiles detailing the experiences of World War II veterans.
He said it’s vital to learn from them before it’s too late.
“When they are gone, their lips are sealed forever,” he said. “That’s why I’ve been trying to get their stories.”
Noll, 88, doesn’t mind talking about his war experiences, even though most of his recollections are gruesome.
He watched comrades die in fox holes three feet away from him.
He rescued more than 50 wounded civilians from a cave with gunfire and explosions booming all around him.
Of the 48 Marines in Noll’s Fourth Division who battled in Iwo Jima, just 13 survived.
Noll, himself, was wounded by shrapnel in his shoulder during the war. He treated it himself and kept fighting.
“I considered myself really fortunate [to have survived the war],” he said. “I’ve always said I must have had the Lord on my side.”
Noll volunteered for service, even though it interrupted a potentially promising athletic future.
Noll grew up a three-sport athlete in Baltimore and was offered a scholarship to play football at the University of Maryland.
He played baseball during down time between deployments in World War II and credits athletic competitions for helping him return to everyday life after completing his tour of duty.
Noll ran his own construction company for 35 years near Baltimore.
He is retired and lives with his wife Betty in a fourth-floor apartment at Carroll Lutheran Village.
While in the Marines, Noll dodged enemy gunfire in the quest to secure high ground on the Pacific islands.
These days, Noll gets to look down on his surroundings.
Noll’s living room window features a spectacular view of nearby houses, hills and valleys.
“We are truly blessed,” he said.
Reach staff writer Brandon Oland at 410-857-7862 or brandon.oland@carrollcountytimes.com
Ellie