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Joseph D. Patch (December 8, 1885 – November 21, 1966) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the Mexican Border War, World War I and World War II, his awards and decorations included the Distinguished Service Cross. Patch served from 1909 to 1945, and he attained the rank of major general as the Second World War commander of the 80th Infantry Division.
Born at Fort Huachuca and the son of an army officer who later became a railroad executive, Patch was raised primarily in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. He attended St. Luke's School in Wayne, Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Technical School (now Carnegie Mellon University), then worked on construction of the Panama Canal. In 1909 he enlisted in the army, and in 1911 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant. Patch served in Texas during the Mexican Border War. During World War I, he served in combat in France, during which he was wounded and received the Distinguished Service Cross and French Croix de guerre for heroism, as well as the Purple Heart.
After the First World War, Patch advanced through the ranks in command and staff positions including professor of military science at Lehigh University and the University of Maryland, College Park. He was a 1925 graduate of the United States Army Command and General Staff College and a 1935 graduate of the United States Army War College. During the Second World War, he commanded: 87th Infantry Brigade, 44th Infantry Division; 80th Infantry Division; Trinidad Sector and Base Command; and Army Service Forces Training Center, Fort Lewis. He retired from the army in 1945.
In retirement, patch resided in Corpus Christi, Texas and was an author of military history books. He died in Corpus Christi on November 21, 1966. Patch was buried at Seaside Memorial Park in Corpus Christi.
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