HEROES
AMONG US
JOE HUNTER
REYNOLDS
It has become a regular
Journal feature to tell the
stories of the heroes among
us, the stories of Fellows
who wore the uniform, who
fought and bled to keep us
all safe. This is one of those
stories. If you have one,
please share it with us . . .
Wars have often interrupted the careers of Fellows in the College, particularly those from the
greatest generation. But rarely has that occurred to a Fellow twice. Yet when duty called Texas
legal legend Joe H. Reynolds of Houston, Texas, he answered the call, not once but twice.
Joe Reynolds was born on November 21, 1921, in Commerce, Texas, a small town northeast
of Dallas. He was one of six children in his family. Joe grew up in East Texas – Tyler and
then Waco. He worked his way through Tyler Junior College, Baylor University and Baylor
Law School. But like many in those days, his education was not a straight line. World War
II intervened. During his second year in law school Joe attended a presentation by a U.S.
Marine Corps recruiting officer who had fought in the Guadalcanal Campaign. That did
it for Joe. He and several of his classmates enlisted in the Marine Corps in the fall of 1942.
Joe’s first action was on Guam in July, 1944, as a member of the 12th Regiment of the 3rd
Marine Division, which recaptured the island from the Japanese, who had held it since 1941.
53 JOURNAL