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Sgt. Joseph R Quinlan

January 4, 1924 to June 26, 1944

Written by Larry Wallace, with the help and support of

Joe Bolser, the Nephew of Joseph R. Quinlan

2017

Ten years ago, in September of 2007, I was on my first real family history research trip. I was in my

hometown of Rantoul, Illinois. As always, whenever I got back there, my first stop was a visit to Holy

Sepulcher Cemetery. It has always been my practice, before anything else, to visit the graves of my

grandparents, Martin and Ethel Corbett Quinlan. I would also visit my aunts and uncles, followed by my

great grandparents. This day was a little different.

I had spent the previous several years working on a family tree. Contrary to what I had been told earlier

in life, my research proved that all of the Quinlans buried there were related. They had all descended

from either Thomas Quinlan or his brother, my great grandfather, Michael Quinlan. I knew who my

people were and how they were related. It was those other Quinlans that sparked my interest on this

day. Armed with a new digital camera, I began in the southeast corner of the cemetery. This is where my

Grandparents lay. Several of their children and some siblings on grandad’s side are also here. I worked

my way west, capturing every Quinlan headstone I could find. They were names and dates written in

stone. I would use that information to include them into my family tree. They were my family now.

It was during this process that I found it. Located right alongside the center roadway was

the headstone of Sgt. Joseph R. Quinlan.

There was another headstone of the same rose color which I knew had to be his parents. They were

Charles A. and Katharine E. Quinlan.

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As I stood there and pondered this sad sight, I thought of the sacrifice Joseph had given to our country

and the pain of his parents. In my mind I thought Joseph could not actually be there. I had visions of him

being a paratrooper and jumping into France with the Airborne on D-day.

Over the next 10 years I returned to this headstone many times. I took my wife, my children, and

grandchildren there. I was born at Chanute, and raised in military. For many reasons this grave was

important to me, and I wished I knew Joseph’s story.

Last year in late October 2016 I found myself once again in Rantoul, this time with my son Roy Corbett

Wallace. I dragged him through Holy Sepulcher and several other cemeteries explaining more history

then he will ever be able to grasp. It was on this trip that I met Patricia Quinlan and her brother Tom at

her real estate office. We exchanged some family history information. Patricia was very knowledgeable

and helpful to me.

I have spoken to her several times by phone since then. Most recently I asked her about the headstone

of Sgt. Joseph Quinlan. (I told her that I had been in contact with some people who were in France

touring the US National Cemeteries there. They had asked if I wanted them to look up any military

personnel buried there. I gave them Joseph Quinlan’s information. They found four Quinlans, but Joseph

was not among them.) To my surprise Patricia told me that Joseph is, in fact, buried at Holy Sepulcher.

She went on to tell me that his nephew Joe Bolser had his Purple Heart and he was the person I needed

to locate for further information. I got a phone number for Joe Bolser from my cousin Jim Quinlan. I

called Joe and introduced myself and explained who I was and that I was interested in his uncle and

his story. I told Joe with his permission and help I wanted to write a story about his uncle and his

service to and sacrifice for our country. Joe sent me the following information on his Uncle Joseph.

Joseph Robert Quinlan was born in Gifford, Illinois on January 4, 1924. He was the sixth and

youngest child of Charles and Katherine (Coady) Quinlan. He was the grandson of Thomas and

Elizabeth Murphy Quinlan. He was raised on the family farm in an area known as Hardwood. He

attended Rantoul High School. At the outbreak of WW II Joe’s brother, Charles A. Quinlan Jr.,

was already in the Army having enlisted June 28, 1941.

On December 17, 1942 Joe received his draft classification. He took his physical on January 19 in

Peoria and reported for duty at Scott Field on January 26, 1943. (Scott Field is the present day

US Air Force base located approximately 25 miles east of St. Louis.) A week later he was

transferred to Ft. Riley, Kansas, where he took a Radio Operators Course. From there he was

sent to Camp Maxey located near Paris, Texas in Lamar County. (Camp Maxey was established

as an Infantry Training base in 1942, and later between 1943 and 1946 it also served as a POW

camp for up to 5,000 German prisoners.)

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Joe would remain at Camp Maxey until early November 1943. His unit was headed for England.

The first part of this transfer would likely have been by rail. They were placed on troop

transports at the New York Port of Embarkation. They sailed on November 15, arriving in

Scotland five days later disembarking at Firth of Clyde. Joe’s unit was located in Exeter at

Topsham Barracks. It was from there that they waited and trained for the invasion of

France…just seven months in the future.

On November 21, 1943 Joe’s Unit (which had been the 3rd

Reconnaissance Squadron attached to the 1st Cavalry Division)

was redesignated as 38th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron

(Mechanized) in Exeter, England and assigned to the 102 Cavalry.

Joe was assigned to Troop or Company “A”. Their motto, “Always

in Front” boldly emblazoned on their shoulder patch.

In late June or early July of 1944 word arrived by telegram that Joe had been killed in action on

June 26. He was 20 years old. He was killed in the area of St. Lo, France, fighting in the hedgerow

country.

A week after word arrived that Joe had been killed, there was a funeral mass for him at St.

Malachy’s. Joe was originally buried in the Military Cemetery at St. Laurent. A simple white

wooden cross with his name and serial number marked his grave.

Joe and his niece Ann Bolser Reale

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On September 14th, 1945,

Joe’s older brother Charles A.

Quinlan Jr., now a Lieutenant,

working in Moilly France,

wrote home. He told of

having had opportunity to

meet with and talk to several

members of Joe’s unit, who

knew him.

A Sergeant by the name of

Norbert had been with Joe

since Camp Maxey. He

recognized Joe’s talents. He

was able to get Joe out of the

Radio MOS and had a hand in

his promotion to Sergeant.

Joe was placed in Command

of his own unit consisting of a

M8 Greyhound and a couple

of Jeeps. At first Joe was

reluctant to delegate duties,

often doing the work himself.

He was an expert at

demolition, taught the troops

about booby traps and mines.

At the time he was killed he

was on the road between St.

Laurent and St. Lo. He was

out front with mine detector.

He was killed by machine gun

fire, likely from an M42. It

was reported he died

instantly

Following the war, in accordance with the Fallen Servicemen Repatriation Program, Joe’s

parents had the ability to request that his body be shipped home for burial. The US Congress

passed legislation in 1946 authorizing the disinterment at the request of the next of kin. This

task was assigned to the Quarter Master General with the assistance of the American Graves

Registration Division. The first disinterment occurred on July 27, 1947 in Hamburg, Belgium

beginning with our war dead buried in Henri-Chapelle Cemetery. On Oct. 26, 1947, the USS

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Joseph V. Connolly arrived at the Port of New York with the first 6,248 caskets. The following

day they began unloading the caskets from the ship. They were placed in converted Pullman

Railcars and sent to rail transportation centers throughout the country. Life Magazine covered

this operation and produced a great photographic record of it in their November 17, 1947

edition. Joe was not on the first ship but he was soon to follow.

His parents received a telegram dated November 21, 1947 confirming their instructions for the

delivery of Joe’s body. Joe was to be delivered to Glendon Clark, the local Funeral Director, at

209 South Garrard Street, in Rantoul. Joe Bolser told me that upon the arrival of Joe’s casket, it

was taken to his parents home at 228 Sheldon Street, as was the custom at the time. There was

another service at St. Malachy’s after his return. (It is unclear what the exact date he arrived was

and when the service was held.)

The truly important part of all this is that Joe was reburied in early January 1948 in Holy

Sepulcher Cemetery, right where I found him in October of 2007.

“Historical Notes”

The Unit History states that following a period of training in the United Kingdom, the 38th Cavalry

arrived in France on June 12th, 1944, D-day plus 6. On August 23rd, 1944, elements of the 102nd Cavalry

Reconnaissance Squadron rode ahead of French tanks and reached the outskirts of Paris. By the 24th, all

German resistance had collapsed. The Cavalry made way for the French troops to enter Paris on the

morning of August 25, 1944, just behind the U.S. 12th Infantry. “THE UNIT IN FRONT” was Troop “A”, 38th

Cavalry, Mechanized (Joe’s Unit). An M8 “Greyhound”, armored car, commanded by Capt. Bill Buenzl,

lead the way and was photographed in front of the Ach De Triomphe. Sadly, Joe had been killed 60 days

prior to this event.

The 38th went on to reach Belgium on the 4th of Sept. 1944; Germany on the 30th of March 1945; and

Prestice, Czechoslovakia in August 1945.

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