Joseph R. Blake
Private, United States Army
December 21, 1971 – August 17, 2006
Age – 34
Redford, MI
Operation Iraqi Freedom
1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division Fort Drum, NY
Killed in small arms fire while engaged in combat operations in Turkalay, Afghanistan
Joseph Robert Blake had lived in Portland only a few weeks when, in January 2005, he made a commitment he’d toyed with much of his life. He joined the U.S. Army. At 34, Pvt. Joseph Blake was the oldest guy in his basic training class. Many of his classmates, still teenagers, used to kid around and call him the “old man.”
Born and raised in the Detroit area, Blake spent most of his life there. Born and raised in the Detroit area, Blake spent most of his life there. In 2003, he moved to Florida to live with his birth family and to find a job. He had trouble finding work in Michigan, and found the same economic problems in Florida. He and a buddy then went to Portland looking for work. Although he was older than his comrades, Joseph Blake was proud he could keep up with them. He worked hard to stay in shape. In March, the unit was shipped to Afghanistan – his first deployment.
“He was very proud of what he had achieved in the military,” Douglas Blake said. “He was proud of his uniform. He felt very good about what he was doing.” On a mid-July home leave, Blake told his parents some things about his duties overseas but was guarded about the dangerous details. “He didn’t want us to worry about what might happen,” his father said. “We’re very proud of him. We’re very proud of what he achieved, and we’re very proud of his willingness to fight.”