Joseph C Doherty Oral History Interview

Joseph Doherty was born in Pittsburgh in 1924. In 1942, he joined the U.S. Army Reserves, hoping to attend college for a while before being drafted; however, he was moved to active service a few months later. Joseph spent roughly nine months in the Army Specialized Training Program, before it was dissolved and he was assigned to a mortar platoon in the infantry. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and his division was part of the Ruhr Pocket battle. He returned to the US in late 1945/early 1946.

In this interview, Joseph Doherty describes his experiences in the Army during World War II, including his recruitment, the Battle of the Bulge, the final push into Germany, and the period after the war as the Army tried to transfer GIs home. He also describes the little-known Army Specialized Training Program, key differences in the German and American weaponry and philosophy towards replacing casualties, and other anecdotes about various events in the war.