TSGT Joseph Spector

courtesy of C Giano

TSGT Joseph Spector was born 17 Sep 1914 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He was the 2nd child of 4 children of Russian Jewish immigrants, David L. and Esther (Batush) Spector. His father worked as a tin smith in a packing plant and an independent shop. After high school, Joseph worked as proprietor of his own grocery at 329 Concord Street in Saint Paul and continued living with his parents at 343 Robie Street, also in Saint Paul, about a 37 minute walk.

We are unsure of when he was drafted or where he served prior to being transferred from the replacement depot on 7 Aug 1944 but he was already a SGT and was assigned as a squad leader in I Company 116th Infantry. This was right at the end of the fight to liberate Vire, France and the entire division was redirected to the priority fight to capture and remove the Nazi threat at Brest. SGT Spector fought with the unit until wounded in action on 6 Sep 1944 on the Conquet Peninsula, France probably in the attack on Hill 53. He was then evacuated to hospital where he died of his wound(s) on 13 Sep 1944.

TSGT Spector rests forever in the Brittany American Cemetery. A cenotaph memorializing him is in the Temple of Aaron Cemetery in Roseville, Minnesota with his family.

His older brother, Jack Spector, also served in the U.S. Army in Europe during the war.