
“Marine Cpl. Joe A. Chorpenning, USMC, of Cumberland, Md., has adopted this monkey that was left behind by fleeing Japanese on Peleliu. The monkey's name was 'saki’ September 1944” (National Archives).
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History behind the photo: Joe A. Chorpenning’s real name was Allanzo Joseph Chorpenning junior and he was born April 4th, 1921 in Rices Landing, Pennsylvania, the 4th of 5 children. After completing his education, he began working at a local newspaper before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and he subsequently enlisted on February 14th, 1942.

Following his basic training at Parris Island and further infantry training at New River, NC, Joe and his fellow Marines in E Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines would be sent to Guadalcanal where he participated in combat actions at Tulagi Harbor, Edson’s Ridge, and the rest of the capture of Guadalcanal before he was stricken with what could be assumed as Malaria. After Guadalcanal, while in Australia, Joe was sent to transferred to the Headquarters section of 2/5 and was trained as an intelligence man in April of 1943. He was subsequently promoted to Corporal which then made him an Intelligence NCO. Corporal Chorpenning then saw action at Cape Gloucester with the intelligence section of 2/5, leaving the island physically unscathed.

2/5 proceeded to Pavuvu and then Peleliu, where Joe would see his final battle of the war, as well as the moment that would gain him some spotlight in the media. Joe landed on Orange Beach with the intel section on September 15th, 1944. Due to the massive casualties suffered by all infantry units on Peleliu in the first few days, all Marines whether in intelligence or cooking, were used as riflemen to advance further across the Island. While on a reconnaissance patrol, Joe noticed in a jungle thicket, a small monkey that was being held down by a leather collar and leash tied to the brush. Quickly freeing the former a Japanese pet, he was named Saki and adopted into the ranks of 2/5. While on a subsequent patrol with Saki on his shoulder, Joe was photographed by Combat Photographer Barnett, forever cementing his and Saki’s legacy on Peleliu.

On D+13, 28 September, 3/5 assaulted Ngesebus and Kongauru islands. E Co 2/5 was the regimental reserve. 1/5 seized Hill 3 and Radar Hill. 2/5, now at the northern tip of Peleliu, attacked south to seize the flat ground northeast of the ridges. At 0700, G Co led the battalion through a coconut grove near the eastern base of the ridges with three tanks. By 1000, G Co had killed 150 of the enemy in the assault. G Co continued to sweep southward until it could fire on Radar Hill in support of 1/5. F Co and E Co neutralized the caves honeycombing the area using demolitions. At one point, when 70 enemy broke from their positions, F Co chased these enemy in three LVTs, killing those Japanese who did not surrender. At some point during 2/5’s combat actions on September 28th, Corporal Chorpenning was wounded in action and evacuated to the rear to be treated. There was no record of Saki’s whereabouts following Joe’s wounding.
Joe and the rest of the 5th Marines would eventually be evacuated back to Pavuvu and Joe was subsequently reassigned to a stateside guard company in New York, New York. While there, Corporal Joe Chorpenning married Miss Bernadette Chapman in St. Patrick’s Catholic Church on Janurary 7th, 1945. The war ended several months later and Joe was
Honorably Discharged on October 2nd, 1945. Joe and Bernadette would have two Children, Joseph and Mary. Joe seemed to have picked his newspaper job back up after the was as a printer at the “Times and Alleganian co” and lived peacefully with his wife Bernadette in Cumberland, Maryland until Joe’s death on July 14th, 1994. Bernadette would follow him less than a year later on April 5th, 1995.

Their son Joseph went on to be the Executive Assistant to the Regional Director of the Mid-Atlantic Region of United Food and Commercial Workers International Union AFL-CIO-CLC. He was known coast to coast for his kind, caring manner as well as his ability to improve peoples' lives through his work. He passed away in 1997, survived by his wife Jeanne and two sons.

Their daughter, Mary graduated from Allegany High School, Class of 1965, where she was involved in the newspaper, just like her father, and yearbook. Mary worked for a quarter century in the retail food business in Cumberland, Lavale, and Frostburg. The job she enjoyed most was babysitting and caring for her eleven grandchildren as they grew up. She was an excellent cook, loved doing puzzles, was an avid Pittsburgh Penguin fan, and loved vacationing and spending time with her family. Her greatest joy was being a wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She passed away just recently in March 2023 before we got the chance to speak to her about her father. She is survived by her husband, John, 4 daughters, 11 grandchildren, as well as several Great Grand-Children.

Although Joe and Saki are both gone now, the effect they had in showing the humor and good that can appear in the midst of combat no doubt gave many a slight sense of reprieve in those final months at war, and perhaps restored the faith in humanity that many had lost in the prior 4 years war.
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