Born in Alt Patschkau, Kries Neisse, Schlesien, Germany. The province of Schlesien was depopulated of Germans after the war and is now part of Poland. He never saw his parents or his home after the war.
He had two older brothers, Alois Wagner and Stefan Wagner. Alois found a home in West Germany and Stefan eventually emigrated to the US.
Josef was a paratrooper in WWII making jumps in Crete and across Africa. He was captured by the British in Tunisia and turned over to the US in 1943, staying in POW camps in Alabama and North Carolina.
When he returned to Germany he found his home was gone. He joined his brothers Stefan and Alois in the town where their village had been resettled and eventually emigrated shortly after his brother Stefan's family emigrated, joining them in Santa Clara county in California. Josef bought land, created a nursery in Watsonville in Monterey county and grew flowers commercially his entire life in the US.
He had two older brothers, Alois Wagner and Stefan Wagner. Alois found a home in West Germany and Stefan eventually emigrated to the US.
Josef was a paratrooper in WWII making jumps in Crete and across Africa. He was captured by the British in Tunisia and turned over to the US in 1943, staying in POW camps in Alabama and North Carolina.
When he returned to Germany he found his home was gone. He joined his brothers Stefan and Alois in the town where their village had been resettled and eventually emigrated shortly after his brother Stefan's family emigrated, joining them in Santa Clara county in California. Josef bought land, created a nursery in Watsonville in Monterey county and grew flowers commercially his entire life in the US.
Born in Alt Patschkau, Kries Neisse, Schlesien, Germany. The province of Schlesien was depopulated of Germans after the war and is now part of Poland. He never saw his parents or his home after the war.
He had two older brothers, Alois Wagner and Stefan Wagner. Alois found a home in West Germany and Stefan eventually emigrated to the US.
Josef was a paratrooper in WWII making jumps in Crete and across Africa. He was captured by the British in Tunisia and turned over to the US in 1943, staying in POW camps in Alabama and North Carolina.
When he returned to Germany he found his home was gone. He joined his brothers Stefan and Alois in the town where their village had been resettled and eventually emigrated shortly after his brother Stefan's family emigrated, joining them in Santa Clara county in California. Josef bought land, created a nursery in Watsonville in Monterey county and grew flowers commercially his entire life in the US.
He had two older brothers, Alois Wagner and Stefan Wagner. Alois found a home in West Germany and Stefan eventually emigrated to the US.
Josef was a paratrooper in WWII making jumps in Crete and across Africa. He was captured by the British in Tunisia and turned over to the US in 1943, staying in POW camps in Alabama and North Carolina.
When he returned to Germany he found his home was gone. He joined his brothers Stefan and Alois in the town where their village had been resettled and eventually emigrated shortly after his brother Stefan's family emigrated, joining them in Santa Clara county in California. Josef bought land, created a nursery in Watsonville in Monterey county and grew flowers commercially his entire life in the US.
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