More detail on this person: Colonel Joseph P.
Madrano, U.S. Army (Ret.), born April 20, 1922, in
Reading, PA, to Dan and Agnes Madrano, filed his
final flight plan May 8, 2015. A proud veteran of
three wars and over 39 years of total service, he
started his military career at the age of 17 while
still in high school, by joining the Oklahoma
National Guard. Inducted into active federal
service in 1940, he trained as infantry squad
leader before transferring to the Army Air Corps,
training as Aviation Cadet at Randolph and
Ellington Fields, where he received his commission
as 2nd Lt. and rating of Pilot. Following training
in Florida as a pilot of a Martin B-26, commonly
called "The Widow Maker," the "Flying Coffin," or
the dubious name of "Prostitute" (because it had
no visible means of support), he completed 46
combat missions in the Mediterranean Theater of
Operations. After completing his tour, he returned
to the States and served as a pilot instructor
until his separation from the service in 1945.
After graduation from University of Tulsa in 1949,
he worked as a school teacher until he was called
back into active service, this time as Medical
Service Corps officer. He was then assigned to
Japan, where he "sat out" the Korean conflict by
training troops and providing services to
returning troops. In 1953 he returned to the
States and undertook helicopter training at Ft.
Sill, OK, and Ft. Rucker, AL, where he was
retained as an instructor for two years. Over the
following 20-plus years he served at a number of
posts as a commander and staff officer, including
two tours of Germany and one in Vietnam. While in
Vietnam he commanded a medical evacuation unit.
He also attended a number of schools, including
the Army Command and General Staff College and
the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. The
recipient of numerous awards and decorations from
the U.S. and foreign governments, he was most
proud of the Army Good Conduct Medal, which he
claimed to have earned the old-fashioned way-by
being a good soldier. Joe retired in 1979 at Ft.
Lewis, WA, and since that time has been a
volunteer in a number of activities in Washington
and Texas. He is survived by his loving wife and
partner for nearly 69 years, Jacqueline (Jacquie)
Elledge, sons Daniel C. and Joseph C. and
daughter Col. (Ret) Marsha Killam, three
grandchildren, two great-grandsons, and a host of
other relatives and friends. In lieu of flowers,
the family has requested donations be made to the
Honor Flight.
Church services will be held at the Windcrest UMC
at 10:00 a.m., Monday, May 18, 2015. Interment
will follow at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery
at 11:30 a.m. with full military honors. Please
visit our online guestbook at
www.puenteandsons.com
Published in Express-News on May 17, 2015
Burial information: Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery
This information was last updated 11/25/2013
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