Born shortly after his parents' immigration from Italy in 1920, Joseph D. Pace grew up in an Italian neighborhood in New York City. He was encouraged to learn English at an early age; and his parents learned right along with him. They loved this country and young Joseph learned this love and devotion to country as well. It seemed only natural for him to answer the call to defend the United States when World War II broke out. Enlisting in the Army and later transferring to the Army Air Corps, he hoped to become a fighter pilot. Washed out of pilot training, though, he looked for some other means to fulfill his dream of flying and managed to become a radio operator/gunner on a B-17. Stationed in England, he flew ten missions with his crew. Flying replacement with another crew on his eleventh mission, he had to bail out over a German mine field ending his participation in the war. He was awarded the Purple Heart, and following a long recovery period, was given an honorable discharge.
He never talked much about his World War II service until attending an 8th Air Force reunion in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1990. Mingling with others who shared his experiences he was encouraged to tell his story so that future generations could know more about this war. As he grew older he felt compelled to get the story in book form.
