Lupyak, Joseph, CSM

Deceased

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Photo In Uniform

Service Details

Last Rank
Command Sergeant Major

Last Service Branch
Infantry

Last Primary MOS
00Z-Command Sergeant Major IN

Last MOS Group
Infantry

Primary Unit
1970-1970, 11Z50, Joint Contingency Task Group (JCTG) Son Tay Raiders

Service Years
1951 - 1980

Other Languages

Lithuanian

Spanish

Vietnamese

Voice Edition

Voices Profile

Last Photo

Personal Details

Home State

Pennsylvania

Year of Birth
1931

This Military Service Page was created/owned by MAJ Mark E Cooper to remember Lupyak, Joseph (Joe), CSM USA(Ret).

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Contact Info

Last Address Fayetteville, NC
Date of Passing Jan 21, 2023

Official Badges

Unofficial Badges

Military Associations and Other Affiliations

Association of United States Army (AUSA)


	1975, Special Forces Association - Assoc. Page
	1975, Association of United States Army (AUSA) - Assoc. Page
	1980, Disabled American Veterans (DAV) - Assoc. Page
	1996, Society of the 3rd Infantry Division
	2001, American Legion - Assoc. Page

Additional Information

Last Known Activity:

COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR (RETIRED) JOSEPH W. LUPYAK

Mr. Lupyak was born in Forest City, Pennsylvania.

Command Sergeant Major (Retired) Joseph Lupyak enlisted in the Army in February 1951, and after a distinguished career spanning over 30 years of active service, he retired in September 1980.

Mr. Lupyak's military career has included a wide variety of worldwide assignments from Fort Bragg to Germany, Panama, Korea, and Vietnam. He was assigned to the 11th Airborne Division in February 1951 and completed jump school in May 1951.In October 1951 he was assigned to the 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division, in Korea. He served for 13 months in Korea and participated in numerous operations during the Korean War.

In 1957 Mr. Lupyak was an instructor in the USARCARIBE School in Panama, and in 1959, he attended the Missile Electronic School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, before being assigned to a British Missile Warhead Detachment in Dortmund, Germany in 1960.

Other assignments include the Sergeant Major for the Advisory Group, Ohio National Guard; Command Sergeant Major of the 27th Airborne Engineer Battalion; Command Sergeant Major, Hawk Missile Battalion, Korea; and Command Sergeant Major, 3d Battalion, 325th Infantry Brigade, 82d Airborne Division.

Mr. Lupyak's Special Forces experiences began early in the history of Special Forces. He joined the 77th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in February 1954. He served in Detachment A Berlin in the early 60's; served in both 7th and 3d Special Forces Groups; participated in the Son Tay Raid in 1970; and served with 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in the Republic of Vietnam. He was selected as the Command Sergeant Major for 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in 1976 and served in that position until his retirement in September 1980.

After retiring, Mr. Lupyak worked overseas for 2 years, and in 1983, became one of the first civilian instructors hired for the newly acquired positions in the Special Forces School. He moved to the position of Assistant Operations Officer/Training Officer for 1st Battalion, 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne) in 1984. Mr. Lupyak currently holds the position of Branch Chief of the Special Forces Qualification Course for the Training Development Division in the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School.

Mr. Lupyak has an Associate Degree in Business and is a member of the Honor Society. He is a past President of Special Forces Chapter 62, Special Forces Museum Association, and Son Tay Raid Association. He is Distinguished NDIA Lifetime Member for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, He is a Distinguished Member of the 1st Special Forces Regiment and a Member of the Special Forces Hall of Fame. He has also been awarded the Gold Order of St Philip Neri Award by the Special Forces Association. He was the distinguished citizen of the year in his hometown in Forest City, PA. His awards include the Silver Star, Bronze Star with Valor device with cluster, Legion of Merit, Air Medal w/cluster, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry w/Palm, Combat Infantryman Badge with Star, and Master Parachutist Badge.

Mr. Lupyak is married to the former Goldy Hatgi of Panama. They have one son, Richard.

Korean War/Korea, Summer-Fall 1952/Battle of White Horse
From Month/Year October / 1952	To Month/Year October / 1952
Description On October 6, an intensive air raid was carried out on several places around Baengma-goji where the Chinese were anticipated to assemble. The Chinese responded by opening the floodgates of the Pongnae-Ho Reservoir, which was located about seven miles (11 km) north of the hill, evidently in the hope that the Yokkokchon which ran between the ROK 9th and the U.S. 2nd Division would rise sufficiently to block reinforcements during the critical period. Simultaneously, they threw a battalion-sized force at Hill 281 (Arrowhead), two miles (3 km) southeast of White Horse across the valley, to pin down the French Battalion astride the hill and to keep the 2nd Division occupied. Before the night was over six additional companies joined in the action. The French held firm and inflicted heavy casualties upon the attackers. As a diversion to the main attack, it proved effective but expensive. At 19:15, the 340th Regiment sent four companies up to the northwest end of the White Horse Hill complex to engage the 10th company and its supporting forces in an attempt to secure a break-through. At 02:00 the following morning, four B-29 strategic bombers dropped 1,000 pound bombs on Hajinmyeong-dong, and an assortment of 81 artillery guns (32 155-millimeter guns, 32 105-millimeter guns, 7 4.2-inch heavy mortars and 10 tank guns) dealt intensive heavy fire; nevertheless, the Chinese breakthrough widened further, though suffering an estimated 500 casualties the first night. Disregarding the heavy losses, the Chinese committed the remnants of the original two battalions and reinforced them with two fresh battalions from the same division the following day. Cutting off a ROK company outpost, the Chinese pressed on and forced the elements of the ROK 10th Company to withdraw from the crest. Less than two hours after the loss of the peak, two battalions (the 2nd and 3rd) of the ROK 28th Regiment mounted a night attack that swept the Chinese out of the old ROK positions by 23:05. Again the Chinese losses were heavy and a Chinese prisoner later related that many of the companies committed to the attack were reduced from 190-200 to less than 20 men after the second day of fighting. With such serious losses, the Chinese switched its attack forces from the 340th Regiment to the 334th Regiment, reserving the 342nd Regiment for the assault on October 9. Elements of the 342nd fought their way to the crest during the afternoon of October 9, only to lose it to a ROK 28th Regiment counterattack that night. On October 10, the still fresh 29th Regiment made a counterattack and seized White Horse, and the 28th Regiment was immediately assigned to defend the right flank of the hill. The same day at 0430, the Chinese 342nd Regiment recaptured the hill in an attack on the ROK 29th Regiment that had been defending the main peak; in two hours, though, the hill was seized back in an instant counterattack, only to be lost again at 0815. In the tiresome war of attrition, the UN forces relied on their overwhelming advantage in artillery support and close-range air support. The UN forces apparently were fortunate, for a Chinese prisoner later related that Fifth Air Force planes had caught elements of the 335th Regiment, 112th Division, in an assembly area north of Hill 395, inflicting heavy casualties upon the regiment, and had delayed its commitment to the attack. Regardless of casualties, the Chinese continued to send masses of infantry to take the objective. On White Horse, the Chinese kept funneling their combat troops into the northern attack approaches where Eighth Army artillery, tanks, and air power would wreak havoc. The Chinese determination to win White Horse made sitting ducks out of their infantry as the IX Corps defenders saturated the all-out assaults with massed firepower of every caliber. By October 12 there was a break in the bitter struggle. The 1st Battalion of the 30th Regiment struck out from the attack line. The 29th Regiment, which had mounted a counterattack four hours before the attack by the battalion, was stalled just 40 meters from the enemy position. When no progress was made in the two-hour attack, the 2nd Battalion was sent in on the right flank for a pincer movement. The 3rd company which was in the vanguard of the 1st Battalion was not making sufficient advances because of Chinese resistance, so the commander of the 1st company, close behind the 3rd company, was ordered to launch an overriding attack and succeeded in approaching the attack line. White Horse was recaptured at 13:20, after five-hours of intense battle. On October 13, under close-range air cover by 141 warplanes, the 28th Regiment was committed to Nakta-neungaseon, but the strong Chinese resistance forced it to withdraw to White Horse six hours after the attack on the ridge had begun. On October 14, the 29th Regiment executed another attack, and at 10:40, the 22nd Battalion of the Regiment routed the Chinese troops from Nakta-neungseon, thus seizing full control of White Horse. (Chinese source: The 38th Army was ordered during the night of the 14th to abandon the action due to the start of "Battle of Triangle Hill" which PVA determined to win).

My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year October / 1952	To Month/Year October / 1952

Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020

Personal Memories

My Photos From This Battle or Operation

No Available Photos