Upshaw, Joseph W.

Joseph W. Upshaw was born in Mesa, Arizona in 1920. His family later moved to Chinook, Mont. where at the age of sixteen he joined the Montana National Guard in 1936. The 163rd trained to fight in Europe and on September 16, 1940 they were placed on active duty status. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the 163rd deployed to Australia on board the Queen Elizabeth I to defend against a possible Japanese invasion. He served as commader of a mortar platoon and saw action on New Guinea. His enlistment in the regular army lasted until September 16, 1945. Mr. Upshaw remained a member of the Montana National Guard until his retirement at the rank of Colonel in 1977. Since that time he has maintained his ties to the 163rd as a volunteer at the Military Museum at Fort Harrison, Mont. and provides assistance to families of deployed service men and women of the 163rd in Iraq.