Joseph R. Beyrle known as "Jumpin' Joe" was born on August 25, 1923, in Muskegon, Michigan. In 1942, he graduated from high school with a scholarship to the University of Notre Dame. Instead, Beyrle enlisted as a paratrooper with the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne’s “Screaming Eagles” division and served as a Staff Sergeant during World War II.

He made two pre-D-Day jumps into occupied France to aid the French resistance with arms and money. On D-Day, he destroyed an enemy gun emplacement, was captured, escaped, and was recaptured. His uniform and dog tags were taken, and a German soldier impersonating him was killed, leading the US War Department to mistakenly report him as dead. His mother refused to believe this.

Beryle was held in seven different POW camps, escaping multiple times. He eventually joined a Soviet tank brigade and served as a scout against the Germans. After being wounded, he met Marshal Zhukov, who arranged his safe passage to the US Embassy in Moscow.

Initially kept under guard due to confusion about his identity, Beryle's dental records confirmed who he was. He received citations from both the US and Soviet governments. Upon returning home, he married his sweetheart, with the same priest officiating who had previously conducted his funeral.

Source of information:www.armchairdragoons.com