Please click here to view a student eulogy for Joseph McElhinney recorded at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery in 2026: https://youtu.be/EkBaXdayIhw

Biography

Early Life 
Joseph Stinson McElhinney, Jr. was born on September 22, 1921, in Washington, Iowa, to parents Joseph and Jeanette Cherry McElhinney. He had three sisters–Cherie, Julia Anne, and Josephine–and one brother, Thomas. Joseph’s father, a pharmacist, died when Joseph was a young child due to prolonged illness, leaving his mother to raise the five children during the rough times of the Great Depression. She supported her family by working as a secretary, first in a bank and then at the state house. In his youth, Mr. McElhinney developed a lifelong passion for fitness, competing as a weightlifter, bodybuilder, gymnast, and Golden Glove boxer. 

In 1939, McElhinney would visit Idaho for the first time in his role as driver, assistant, and model for Dora Mason. Mason was a lecturer and sculptor who was on a Lyceum Tour that brought her and McElhinney to the College of Idaho and Boise High School. 

As World War II began, Mr. McElhinney was too young to enlist, but he moved to the Seattle-Tacoma area to work for the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation, which ultimately built forty-five destroyers and converted or repaired 576 other ships for war service. McElhinney worked as a welder for the Seattle-Tacoma company until he was old enough to enlist, gaining valuable experience for his future military service as an electrician.

Homefront 
Washington, a small town located approximately 30 miles south of Iowa City and 113 miles east of Des Moines, had a population of 5,648 in 1940. The city residents produced key crops such as wheat, barley, and corn. During the war, residents farmed with helpful harvest tips from the newspaper while also contributing to the manufacture of tanks, rifles, and ammunition. 

With the war effort in full swing, farm laborers were in short supply in Iowa. What was not in short supply, however, were prisoners of war (POWs), mainly from Germany and Italy, due to recently constructed POW camps. To address labor shortages, farmers used prisoners from these camps to help meet wartime production needs. 

Women also contributed to the war effort by joining the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC). After training, they took non-combat headquarters-type jobs, freeing men up to fight in the war. They even served as military police, patrolling the city of Des Moines.

Military Experience 
Joseph McElhinney registered for the draft on February 15, 1942. After basic training, he attended the Marine Training Detachment in Logan, Utah, as an elementary electrician. He was a member of the 9th Recruit Battalion in San Diego, California, before going to the Headquarters Company, Signal Battalion. 

McElhinney served his country in the Solomon Islands as part of a communications crew. On Guadalcanal, they went behind enemy lines to establish communications lines for advancing U.S. forces. 

During his time in the Marine Corps, McElhinney married Bonnie Jarvis in Los Angeles, California, on September 17, 1945. By October 1945, McElhinney had been promoted to the rank of sergeant. 

McElhinney was ultimately honorably discharged on November 12, 1945.

Veteran Experience 
After leaving the Marine Corps, McElhinney and Bonnie Jarvis divorced. 

McElhinney attended the School of Pharmacy at the University of Iowa. While attending school, he met Mary Carolyn McCue. She was completing her dental practicum, and McElhinney was her patient. The two married on November 25, 1948, in Iowa City. That same year, Mrs. McElhinney earned her doctorate in dentistry as the only woman in a class of 100. McElhinney graduated from pharmacy school in 1951. Together, they had six children. 

McElhinney then started his career in pharmacy in Winfield, Kansas. In 1953, his family moved to Idaho, where he eventually worked at the first Albertson’s grocery store in Boise. As an active member with the Idaho State Pharmacy Association, he won the Bowl of Hygeia Award for Outstanding Community Service in Pharmacy on July 1, 1977. McElhinney also provided vacation coverage not only for his own colleagues but also for other independent pharmacists throughout the area, even after retiring.

Commemoration 
McElhinney passed away on April 22, 2012, in Boise, Idaho. He is buried at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery. 

His wife, Carolyn, died about two and a half months before him, on February 9. The two were married for more than six decades.

The McElhinneys were committed Catholics and helped found St. Mark's Parish in the 1970s. 

McElhinney greatly contributed to his community. He was remembered for his wonderful smile, love of popcorn, and the help he provided to colleagues in small pharmacies throughout Idaho.

This profile was researched by Lexi Barclay and Bridget Shrader, mentored by Compass Honors High School teacher Mr. Adam Mastalski, as part of a Veterans Legacy Grant Program led by National History Day in the 2025/2026 academic year.

This profile was funded by a grant from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.



Bibliography

Primary Sources

“‘A’ Gas Forms Now Available.” Iowa City Press-Citizen [Iowa City, Iowa], June 28, 1943. Newspapers.com (361972698).

Dudley, Roger. Welders, Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation, Seattle Division, circa 1943. Photograph. 1943. Vigor Industrial Collection on Todd Shipyard, Museum of History & Industry. https://mohai.org/collections-and-research/search/item/2023.36/-%23.76/.

Evening Journal Farm Edition [Washington, Iowa], April 29, 1949. Newspapers.com (51791511).

Iowa. Washington County. 1920 U.S. Census. Digital Images. Ancestry Classroom. 

Iowa. Washington County. 1925 State Census. Digital Images. Ancestry Classroom. 

Iowa. Washington County. 1930 U.S. Census. Digital Images. Ancestry Classroom. 

Iowa. Johnson County. 1940 U.S. Census. Digital Images. Ancestry Classroom. 

Iowa. Johnson County. 1950 U.S. Census. Digital Images. Ancestry Classroom. 

Joseph Stinson McElhenney Jr. Iowa, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1865-1972. Digital Images. Ancestry Classroom. 

Joseph Stinson McElhenney Jr. Washington, Iowa, U.S., Birth Certificates, July 1921-December 1934. Digital images. Family Search.

Joseph Stinson McElhenney Jr. World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947. Digital Images. Ancestry Classroom. 

“Mary Carolyn McCue Wed to Joseph S. McElhinney, Jr.” The Gazette [Cedar Rapids, Iowa], November 28, 1948. Newspapers.com (548872582).

“Plan WAACruiting Drive in Iowa City.” Iowa City Press-Citizen [Iowa City, Iowa], March 15, 1943. Newspapers.com (363264971).

U.S. Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1893-1958. Records of the U.S. Marine Corps, Record Group 127. National Archives at Washington, D.C.

“Women of Iowa.. Join the All-Iowa Company of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps.” Iowa City Press-Citizen [Iowa City, Iowa], June 21, 1943. Newspapers.com (361972095).


Secondary Sources
 
“1939 - Albertsons.” Albertsons Companies. Accessed April 4, 2026. https://www.albertsonscompanies.com/about-aci/our-history/default.aspx. 

“Carolyn McCue McElhinney.” Find a Grave. Accessed April 4, 2026. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/84757391/carolyn-mcelhinney. 

“An Iowa Veteran’s Experience in the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) During World War II.” Iowa PBS. Accessed November 11, 2025. https://www.iowapbs.org/iowapathways/artifact/1515/iowa-veterans-experience-womens-army-corps-wac-during-world-war-ii.

“Joseph Stinson McElhinney.” Veterans Legacy Memorial, National Cemetery Administration. Accessed April 13, 2026. https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/JOSEPHSTINSONMCELHINNEY/8324b5. 

“Joseph Stinson ‘Joe’ McElhinney Jr.” Find a Grave. Accessed November 11, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/89114285/joseph-stinson-mcelhinney. 

“Obituaries.” The Idaho Statesman [Boise, Idaho], April 24, 2012. Accessed November 11, 2025. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/idahostatesman/name/joseph-mcelhinney-obituary?id=13059516.

“The Solomon Islands Campaign: Guadalcanal.” The National WWII Museum. Accessed January 29, 2026. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/solomon-islands-campaign-guadalcanal.

Timm, Chad W. “Working with the Enemy: Axis Prisoners of War in Iowa During World War II.” The Annals of Iowa 70 (Summer 2011). The State Historical Society of Iowa, 2011.

McElhinney’s marker at Idaho State Veterans Cemetery. Courtesy of Adam Mastalski.

The 1950 Census shows the McElhinney family living in Iowa City, Iowa, with their son, Joseph. National Archives and Records Administration.

One of the first Albertons stores in Idaho. Albertsons Companies.

A black and white image of a single-story grocery store with Albertsons Food Center on the side.

Wedding Announcement for Joseph McElhinney, Jr. and Carolyn McCue. The Gazette, November 28, 1948.

A newspaper article titled, Mary Carolyn McCue Wed to Joseph S. McElhinney, Jr.

On Guadalcanal, American servicemembers battled heat, mosquitoes, disease, dense vegetation, and unfamiliar terrain along with a determined Japanese enemy in an all-consuming, round-the-clock battle. National World War II Museum.

A sepia image of a few dozen Marines crossing a knee-high river in the middle of a jungle.

McElhinney’s Muster roll entry from when he was assigned to Base Signal Battalion at Marine Corps Base San Diego, California, in April 1943. National Archives and Records Administration.

A typed entry for McElhinney on a muster roll.

McElhinney registered for the draft on February 15, 1942. Portions have been redacted for privacy reasons. National Archives and Records Administration.

McElhinney's World War II draft registration card.

Welders at the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation, Seattle Division, c. 1943. Museum of History & Industry.

A black and white image of two White men welding some type of pipe in a factory.

The 1940 Census shows the McElhinney family. Jeanette is now working as a secretary at the state house. National Archives and Records Administration.

The 1930 Census shows the McElhinney family. Mom, Jeanette, is working as a private secretary in the banking industry. National Archives and Records Administration.

Picture of Mr. McElhinney when he was a young man. Legacy.

A black and white headshot of a young White man in a suit and tie.

Idaho State Veterans Cemetery at Boise

JOSEPH STINSON MCELHINNEY's Profile Picture

JOSEPH STINSON MCELHINNEY

Service

SGT

Resting Place

Mementos

Tributes

Word Cloud

undefined

Milestones

Mementos

Historical Documents

Veteran programs and services

More VA resources

Get VA updates

In crisis? Get help now

Contact us