Carrol Ross Joy was born on the family farm as the youngest of Ross and Bertha (Hesser) Joy. He attended Pleasant Ridge School and in 1938 graduated from Alta Vista High School. At the age of 21, Carrol volunteered to serve his country in WW II. Joy was a staff sergeant in the Army Air Corp, in the 514 Squadron/406 Fighter Bomber Squadron. The Squadron flew support for the D-Day landings and arrived as a group in France on Omaha Beach. Later in the war his squadron participated in the Battle of the Bulge. As a crew chief for the P-47 Thunderbolt, his plane flew 115 missions without an abort. Joy was awarded the Bronze Star, ETO Ribbon 2 presidential Unit citations and the good conduct medal. He served in the reserves for 3 years after his discharge.