The son of a WWI Veteran, Joseph Taphorn followed in his father’s footsteps. At the end of the war, he met a young German girl, whom he eventually married and brought back to America. He was in ROTC when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He enlisted in the Reserves, completed Officer Candidate School, and in December 1942 he was commissioned. He entered the Military Intelligence branch because he spoke fluent German, which he learned from his mother. His most memorable experiences during his service in Europe included interacting with the French and participating in the liberation of a concentration camp.