America needs more "Uncle Joe's"

  • Published
  • By Shirley Saldamarco
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Editor's note: Shirley Saldamarco is Uncle Joe's niece. Uncle Joe served in the Air Force for 31 years and volunteered at the D-M pharmacy and now resides in Tucson with his wife of 62 years. Uncle Joe will turn 91 Sept. 1.

There has never been a shortage of heroes in our country and the men and women in our armed forces today stand as shining examples of what is best about America. This story, though, is the story of a hero we call, "Uncle Joe."

1942 was a time of turmoil for our country, and like many young men at that time Joseph A. Tannarome was asked to serve his country in its time of need. This carefree 25 year old Pittsburgh native was drafted and assigned to the Army Air Corps at Ft. Meade, Md. His aptitude was quickly realized, and he was sent to a B-29 school in Mississippi.

Among other things he studied electrical systems and hydraulics for the yet un-built B-29. Boeing was secretly in the process of completing the first ones at its plant in Seattle, but none had yet arrived at the Mississippi school. Upon finishing B-29 school, Joe was sent to Baltimore to "practice" on the B-26 in further preparation for the yet unveiled B-29. After Baltimore he found himself in Pittsburg, Calif. where he and 3,000 other mechanics and bombardiers were bivouacked in horse stables while waiting for their orders.

Like Joe, the other mechanics and bombardiers were trained throughout the United States and converged in California.

"We were told that we were being sent to Alaska," said Uncle Joe."

They boarded their ship and by the next day Joe and the others realized that they were not heading North toward Alaska but Southeast toward Hawaii where their ship would dock in Pearl Harbor.

"I was overwhelmed by the devastation that had taken place," said Uncle Joe. "I had heard about it, but you couldn't fathom the carnage until you saw it first hand."

The stay in Pearl Harbor was short one day to be exact, while they took on supplies and fresh water.

"When our ship left dock I had no idea where we were going, but I knew it had to be somewhere in the Pacific," said the Pittsburgh native.

On the second day out, Joe said that they were surprised to find that they were important cargo, and that they were now being escorted by an aircraft carrier, a couple of destroyers, a submarine and several other ships as part of a huge convoy.

"I didn't know it, but we were headed for Guam harbor," he said.

Their training and travel had become one of the best secrets of WW II. In March of 1944, they arrived in Guam.

"The Marines had just taken the island from the Japanese defenders but no air base had been established," Joe said.
The Seabees were quickly dispatched to construct runways out of coral formation.

"After all this time spent training, I finally got my first look at a B-29 as that first plane landed on Guam, just as the final section of the runway was being completed," he said.

In April 1944 the reason for all of the training and secrecy was realized when the first B-29 bombing mission over Japan took place.

"Many more followed just to let them know that we were knocking at their front door," said Joe. "We soon learned that the Marines had invaded Iwo Jima and some of my friends in our attachment were sent there as support for the B-29s."

After the war ended, Joe and his family were stationed in Alaska, New Mexico, Nebraska, Harrisburg, Penn., Bitburg, Germany, and Hawaii. In between all of these assignments, Joe served two tours of duty in Vietnam. After 31 years of devoted service to his country, Joe retired on his birthday, Sept. 1, 1973, as a senior master sergeant. His devotion to his country and to the United States Air Force did not stop simply because he was no longer in uniform. For several years thereafter, he served as a volunteer at the pharmacy on Davis-Monthan, and acted as an unofficial mentor to many young Airmen. He is part of this country's greatest generation.

Today, Joe resides in Tucson with his wife of 62 years, Antoinette, and will celebrate his 91st birthday Sept. 1. God Bless you, Uncle Joe ... and God Bless the United States of America.