In the midst of the Depression, Joe somehow completed two years in junior college and saved enough money to go to Ole Miss. Joe was very popular at Ole Miss and especially in law school. He had many honors which are listed in the book which led up to his election to president of the law school class of 1938.
On November 26, 1938, Joe and his new young girlfriend, Doris Parker, slipped off and got married in Louisville, Mississippi. Joe and Doris soon had a new family of their own with the birth of a cute little baby girl on November 21, 1939.
Joe's early law practice was a day-to-day battle, but, like his father, he soon developed a reputation for honesty and integrity. Most of Joe's early law practice experience came at a time when he was sharing space in his father's law office. The actual location of this office has remained the same over the years and is still standing today.
Joe's generation has been referred as "The Greatest Generation" and Joe was no exception. After Pearl Harbor, Joe became determined to join the Navy and "fight the Japs." He was appointed an ensign in the Navy in June of 1942. Soon, he found himself as commanding officer of LCI 342 in the South Pacific under the flotilla commanded by Admiral "Bull" Halsey.
Joe received commendations for various invasions under heavy gunfire. Just a few of the invasions were Finschhaven, Cape Gloucester, and New Guinea.
One example of a story in the book is the time the ship on his right was hit by a bomb dropped from a Japanese Zero, and the LCI turned into the path of Joe's ship. Then the LCI on his left was hit and it began to veer over toward his ship. God spared Joe's ship and he was able to return to America with only the loss of his clear vision.
Joe had served his country well, but the time had come for him to return home and continue the pursuit of his profession. Joe was offered future advancement if he would stay in the Navy. His response was that if they immediately promoted him to admiral he would still not stay in the Navy.
There are millions of stories just like the story of Joe A. McFarland, Jr. in The Greatest Generation. How can we ever thank this generation for what they did for us? Many of them made the ultimate sacrifice for their country and for future generations. Thank God that Joe's life was spared and that he came back home to raise the next generation. I just hope and pray that we can pass on to the next generation the qualities, morals, and values that Joe's generation has given to us.
