VMF-224 Scrap Book
VMF-224 Squadron Member
Joe A. Boaz
Joe A. Boaz
VMF-224, August 1943 – September 1944
Joe Albert Boaz was born in Crockett, Texas, on June 21, 1917. Joe was the only child of Elias A. and Rosa Fadell Boaz. While growing up, Joe’s parents owned and managed several dry goods stores in small Texas towns. As a child, Joe and his family lived in Eastland, Ranger, Huntsville, Chico and Gorman, Texas, and were part of a close-knit extended Lebanese family. Joe graduated from Gorman High School in 1934 and enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin. After Joe’s parents moved back to Huntsville, Texas, Joe joined them and enrolled at Sam Houston State Teacher’s College (now Sam Houston State University). Joe and his father, E. A., owned and operated City Taxi Service. In addition to cab service, the business also provided a bus route that picked up students at local boarding houses and dropped them off on the college campus. Joe graduated with a degree in business from Sam Houston State Teacher’s College in 1939.
Joe enlisted in the Marine Corps on July 28, 1942 and was sent to boot camp at the Marine Corp’s Recruit Training Depot in San Diego, California. After completion of boot camp, Joe arrived in Quantico, Virginia, in December 1942 for combat training. Joe completed the Officer’s Communications Course at Quantico and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on May 22, 1943. Beginning in August 1943, Joe was assigned to Marine Fighting Squadron VMF-224, stationed at Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro, California. After shipping out, the squadron began leapfrogging islands in the Pacific. These islands included Hawaii, American Samoa, Funafuti in the Ellice Islands and Roi-Namur in the Marshall Islands. As a Squadron Supply Officer, Joe was responsible for maintaining and supporting the squadron’s air combat readiness. In September 1944, Joe was transferred to Marine Air Support Group 48 (MASG-48) in Santa Barbara, California. For the next year MASG-48 trained for escort carrier support, flying the Grumman F6F Hellcat. During this time, Joe served as a 1st Lieutenant in the Transportation Section of MASG-48. Joe was discharged from active duty in January 1946.
After being discharged from active duty, Joe returned to Huntsville and drove a taxi for his family’s business. On December 25, 1947, Joe married Willie Jo Morris at the Morris home in Huntsville. In 1950 Joe formed Security Credit Company, a business that made small loans to individuals. In 1954 Joe and his father started Boaz Insurance Agency. Joe sold the agency to other local businessmen and retired in 1984.
Joe and Willie Jo had three children along with two grandchildren and were married 55 years. Joe enjoyed spending time at his property outside of Huntsville tending to a small herd of cattle. Joe also enjoyed attending the annual Marine Corps birthday celebration each November and attended his last gathering in 2001. Joe passed away at his home in Huntsville, Texas, on October 3, 2002 at the age of 85. At the time of his death, Joe was the oldest Marine living in Walker County, Texas. Joe is buried in the Boaz family plot located in the Adickes Addition of Oakwood Cemetery in Huntsville, Texas.
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