Joe E. Mann

Joe Eugene Mann was born on July 8, 1922 in rural Reardan, Washington. Joe was the fifth of nine children, and was raised on his families eastern Washington farm.{{Cite web |last=Papetti |first=Laura |date=2023-10-06 |title=Hometown Highlight {{!}} The Story of Private First Class Joe E. Mann from Reardan, Wash. |url=https://www.krem.com/article/news/community/krem-cares/hometown-highlight-the-story-of-private-first-class-joe-e-mann-from-reardan-wash/293-5be62c74-372c-4de8-b53c-7c20bb905cc5 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231008022809/https://www.krem.com/article/news/community/krem-cares/hometown-highlight-the-story-of-private-first-class-joe-e-mann-from-reardan-wash/293-5be62c74-372c-4de8-b53c-7c20bb905cc5 |archive-date=2023-10-08 |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=KREM |language=en-US}} He played high school football, during which he sustained a broken clavicle. Mann joined the Army from Seattle, Washington in August 1942,{{Cite web |title=WWII Army Enlistment Records |url=https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=3&tf=F&q=joe+e+mann&bc=&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=7702216&rlst=4552635,5201141,7702216 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120615161354/https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=3&tf=F&q=joe+e+mann&bc=&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=7702216&rlst=4552635,5201141,7702216 |archive-date=2012-06-15 |website=aad.archives.gov}} desiring to become a pilot in the United States Army Air Corps, although his prior clavicular injury disqualified him from this.{{Cite web |last=Hill |first=Kip |date=2020-09-19 |title=Historical marker dedicated Friday at Reardan home of Joe Mann, WWII Medal of Honor recipient |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/sep/19/historical-marker-dedicated-friday-at-reardan-home/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020043154/https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/sep/19/historical-marker-dedicated-friday-at-reardan-home/ |archive-date=2020-10-20 |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=The Spokesman-Review}} Instead he volunteered for parachute infantry training and was assigned to the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment and deployed to England to stage for Operation Overlord. Mann was transferred to the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, and suffered a hernia during a training jump which prevented him from participating in the D-Day parachute jump on June 6, 1944. Mann recovered from his injury and participated in Operation Market Garden, assigned to Company H, 3rd Battalion, 502nd PIR, jumping into Holland on September 17. The following day, in Best, the Netherlands, he single-handedly destroyed an enemy emplacement and continued to fire on the enemy from an exposed position until being wounded. Despite his wounds, he insisted on serving guard duty during the night. The next morning, during an enemy attack, Mann smothered the blast of a hand grenade with his body, sacrificing himself to protect those around him. For these actions, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor a year later, on August 30, 1945.

Private First Class Mann's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

He distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty. On 18 September 1944, in the vicinity of Best, Holland [sic], his platoon, attempting to seize the bridge across the Wilhelmina Canal, was surrounded and isolated by an enemy force greatly superior in personnel and firepower. Acting as lead scout, Pfc. Mann boldly crept to within rocket-launcher range of an enemy artillery position and, in the face of heavy enemy fire, destroyed an 88mm gun and an ammunition dump. Completely disregarding the great danger involved, he remained in his exposed position, and, with his M-1 rifle, killed the enemy one by one until he was wounded 4 times. Taken to a covered position, he insisted on returning to a forward position to stand guard during the night. On the following morning the enemy launched a concerted attack and advanced to within a few yards of the position, throwing hand grenades as they approached. One of these landed within a few feet of Pfc. Joe E. Mann. Unable to raise his arms, which were bandaged to his body, he yelled "grenade" and threw his body over the grenade, and as it exploded, died. His outstanding gallantry above and beyond the call of duty and his magnificent conduct were an everlasting inspiration to his comrades for whom he gave his life.{{cite web|title=Private First Class MANN, JOE E., U.S. Army|url=http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/2859/mann-joe-e.php|publisher=Congressional Medal of Honor Society}}

The United States Army ship {{USAT|Private Joe E. Mann}} was in service from October 31, 1947, until she was transferred to the Navy on August 7, 1950.

In remembrance of Pfc. Joe E. Mann, a memorial monument was placed at the site of his death. Near the same site, in the forest between Best and Son (described sometimes as the 'Sonse forest'Zonsche is an archaic spelling of the adjective denoting the town of Son), an open-air theater (which remains in use today) was named after him. This forest also contains a second memorial dedicated in Joe's name, the Pelican Monument, that depicts the mythical story of a pelican mother sacrificing herself to save her babies with her own flesh and blood,{{Cite web |title=PFC Joe e. Mann |url=http://www.ww2marketgarden.com/pfcjoeemann.html |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150106202436/http://www.ww2marketgarden.com/pfcjoeemann.html |archive-date=2015-01-06 |website=Market Garden}} and an adjacent road also carries his name.

The PFC Joe E. Mann Army Reserve Center was named for him. The Reserve Center building began serving soldiers in 1957 and was operational for 40 years and 6 months.{{Cite web |url=https://www.kxly.com/news/soldiers-say-goodbye-to-mann-reserve-center/176371319 |title=Soldiers say goodbye to Mann Reserve Center |date=26 May 2010}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|fix-attempted=yes}} The Reserve Unit was relocated to Fairchild Airforce Base and the building was closed in 2010.{{Cite web |last=Lawrence-Turner |first=Jody |date=2013-02-13 |title=Crime at empty center threatens schools deal |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/feb/13/crime-at-empty-center-threatens-schools-deal/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130225221121/http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/feb/13/crime-at-empty-center-threatens-schools-deal/ |archive-date=2013-02-25 |website=The Spokesman-Review}}{{Cite web |title=PFC Joe E. Mann Army Reserve Center |url=https://realestatesales.gov/gsaauctions/aucdsclnk?sl=ZEATL915273002 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115112923/https://realestatesales.gov/gsaauctions/aucdsclnk?sl=ZEATL915273002 |archive-date=2018-11-15 |website=GSA Auctions}}{{Cite web |date=2015-05-14 |title=PFC Joe E. Mann Army Reserve Center IFB |url=https://static.spokanecity.org/documents/blog/2015/05/14/take-a-tour-of-the-vacant-joe-e-mann-center-in-hillyard/mann-center-property-details-and-bid-info.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919080717/https://static.spokanecity.org/documents/blog/2015/05/14/take-a-tour-of-the-vacant-joe-e-mann-center-in-hillyard/mann-center-property-details-and-bid-info.pdf |archive-date=2015-09-19}}{{Cite web |date=2015-05-14 |title=Take a tour of the vacant Joe e. Mann Center in Hillyard |url=https://my.spokanecity.org/news/stories/2015/05/14/take-a-tour-of-the-vacant-joe-e-mann-center-in-hillyard/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115071235/https://my.spokanecity.org/news/stories/2015/05/14/take-a-tour-of-the-vacant-joe-e-mann-center-in-hillyard/ |archive-date=2018-11-15 |website=spokanecity.org}}

{{Portal|Biography}}

• List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II

{{Reflist|group=n}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Find a Grave|7869726|work=Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients|accessdate=January 21, 2008}}
• {{Internet Archive short film|id=gov.dod.dimoc.30121|name=The Joe Mann Story (1960)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mann, Joe E.}}

Category:1922 births

Category:1944 deaths

Category:United States Army personnel killed in World War II

Category:United States Army Medal of Honor recipients

Category:People from Lincoln County, Washington

Category:United States Army soldiers

Category:World War II recipients of the Medal of Honor

Category:Deaths by hand grenade