First Lieutenant JOSEPH PAUL RATLIFF, JR.

First Lieutenant JOSEPH PAUL RATLIFF, JR., U. S. Army. He is the son of Joseph Paul and Susie Rose George Ratliff, of Blanchard, Louisiana. He was born December 14, 1921, and attended Mooringsport High School and Louisiana State University LSU, from where he received his B. S. degree in Petroleum Engineering in 1942. He entered the service September 15, 1942, at the age of 20. He received his training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and Camp Gruber, Oklahoma. On April 2 1943, he embarked for North Africa, and served with 335th Engineer Regiment in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Corsica, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and Belgium. Lieutenant Ratliff participated in the Naples Foggia, Rome-Arno, Southern France, Rhineland, and Central Europe campaigns, and he has the European-African-Middle East Theater of Operations (ETO) Ribbon with five bronze stars. Lt. Ratliff served with the Military Pipeline System in the headquarters which supervised all construction and operation of petroleum facilities on the Southern System from Marseilles, France, to Mannheim, Germany. He was honorably discharged January 10, 1946, at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. He is the husband of Patty Ruth Stephens Ratliff, and the father of Laurie Paul, of Coushatta, Louisiana. 

Source:

1- THE FIGHTING MEN OF LOUISIANA – LOUISIANA HISTORICAL INSTITUTE – 1946