SPECIAL NOTICE: The City of Rye is looking for any and all veterans missing from its veteran monuments. It is the first effort to update the monuments since 1980. Learn more about this project and how to make sure no Rye veteran is forgotten.
Our reporting on local veterans is a collaboration with RyeVets.org to highlight those from Rye who have served our country across times of war and peace. There are over 2,100 veterans from the City of Rye. Learn more about how you can help research and write biographies of those that have served.
Joseph Chaffe was born on January 22, 1919, in New York City, New York. During his childhood, his family relocated to Rye. In Rye, they resided at 27 Meadow Place and were affiliated with the Presbyterian Church.
Date of Birth: 1/22/1919
Died On: 10/2/1995
Street Address: Meadow Place
Service Number: 32226995
Branch of Service: U.S. Army-WWII
Joseph’s household consisted of his father, Joseph, his mother, Mary, his younger sister, also named Mary, and their maid, Zellia Pine. His father had completed college education and worked as a successful salesman, while his mother had a high school education and fulfilled the role of a homemaker.
A proud member of the Rye High School class of 1936, Joseph Chaffe displayed self-reliance throughout his high school years. He actively participated in the sport he loved, football, and was involved in extracurricular activities such as the chess club and the stamp collecting club.
Following his graduation, Joseph enrolled at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and obtained his degree in 1940. After working for two years at Chase Bank in New York, Captain Chaffe was drafted into military service in March 1942.
During World War II, Joseph served as an officer in the U.S. Army. He underwent basic training at Camp Livingston and subsequently attended the Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia, where he received his commission as a second lieutenant in December 1942. He was then assigned to an infantry regiment at Camp Howze, Texas, serving in the service company and later earning promotion to the rank of first lieutenant. In the early summer, he assumed command of the anti-tank company within his regiment and was ultimately promoted to captain. On January 6, 1945, Joseph married Patricia Hinshelwood.
Joseph and Patricia eventually relocated to Fresno, California. There, Joseph pursued a career as a self-employed public accountant for a span of 33 years. Joseph Chaffe passed away on October 2, 1995.
