Military related information:

Officers not issued service numbers.

Company L Muster Roll Sep-Oct 1917 Camp Logan, Houston, Tx: Enlisted 15 Aug 1917. On duty with company per VODC 33rd Div. - Muster Roll Nov-Dec 1917 Camp Logan, Houston Tx: On duty with Co L per VOCO 132nd INF.

No record of ship manifests found.

WWI Draft Registration:

Post War Occupations / Bio:

Col. Joseph James Canella was born on 28 December 1893, in Burlington, Des Moines, Iowa, United States as the son of Joshesp Cannella and Vinzenzima. He married Agnes Cecile Krone on 16 May 1918, in Rock Island, Illinois, United States. They were the parents of at least 2 sons. He lived in Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, United States in 1935 and Sunnyvale Judicial Township, Santa Clara, California, United States in 1940. He registered for military service in 1918. He died on 18 September 1946, in Sacramento, California, United States, at the age of 52, and was buried in Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, Colma, San Mateo, California, United States.

Married Agnes Cecile KRONE May 16, 1918. Children: Charles Joseph and Keith Edward.

Convicted Colonel Dies At Mather Field

Mather Field officials announced today that Colonel Joseph J. Canella, who was convicted of defrauding the government while stationed at the Santa Ana Army Air Base in 1944. was found dead in his quarters at Mather Field yesterday.

The cause of the officer's death has not been determined. A board of officers has been appointed to investigate the death.

Colonel Canella, who was a supply officer at Mather Field, served in a similar capacity at Santa Ana when he was found guilty of charges of selling jobs and concessions at the base. His conviction had been appealed and was affirmed two days ago by the United States Circuit Court of Appeals.

He was sentenced in December 1944 to two years imprisonment by Federal Judge Leon Yankwich in Los Angeles. While the circuit court of appeals affirmed his conviction, it reversed the conviction of his civilian codefendants, Raymond M. Wykoff and Harry E. McCormick, both officials of the Excelsior Creamery Company of Santa Ana.
Wykoff had been sentenced to one year in jail and McCormick to six months.

Published (Thursday) 19 September 1946 in The Sacramento Bee
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Convicted Officer Found Dead at Mather Field

SACRAMENTO, Sept. 19--Colonel Joseph Canella, facing prison in one Government fraud case and under indictment in another, was found dead yesterday in his quarters at Mather Field, the army air base east of here.

Colonel L. C. Coddington, commanding officer at the field, said an Army board's investigation failed so far to disclose other than natural causes for the death.

The death which was not announced until today by the Mather Field public relations office, followed by only 24 hours denial of Colonel Canella's appeal fronm a verdict sentencing him to two years in a Federal prison.

He had been convicted of conspiracy in the award of milk contracts at the Santa Ana Army Air Base, where he formerly was quartermaster. That conviction was followed by a Federal indictment award of a $100,000 a year butane gas contract for the Santa Ana base.

Pending his appeal in the first case, Colonel Canella had been transferred to Williams Field, Ariz., then to Minter Field, Cal., and finally to Mather.

Colonel Canella, 53, is survived by his widow and a son, Major Charles J. Canella, a U. S. Army paratrooper now stationed in Tokyo. A second son, an Army air pilot, was killed in combat in Germany.

Published (Friday) 20 September 1946 in CCCCAAB
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Probe Is Pushed in Army Officer's Death

An army board of inquiry was to resume its probe today into the death of Colonel Joseph J. Canella, who was found dead in bed Wednesday in his quarters at Mather Field.

Colonel L. C. Coddington, commanding officer at the field, said a preliminary autopsy failed to disclose other than natural causes for the officer's death.

He added the autopsy has not been completed and may not be finished for several days. He stressed that rumors the army officer had committed suicide could not be substantiated.

Colonel Canella's death occurred within 24 hours after the United States circuit Court of Appeals had upheld his conviction on charges of defrauding the government while stationed at the Santa Ana Army Air Base in 1944. the conviction carried a two year prison sentence.

He is survived by a wife in San Francisco and a son, Major Charles J. Canella, an army paratrooper now stationed in Japan. Another son, an army pilot, was killed in combat in Germany.

Colone Canella entered the army as a reserve officer in 1917. He had been at Mather Field since May 15th.

Published (Friday) 20 September 1946 in The Sacramento Bee

Post War Known Addresses:

1921, assigned to Camp Grant, Illinois.

Death Information: Date; Age; Cause; Burial Location 

FindAGrave: www.findagrave.com/memorial/105532790/joseph-james-canella

Miscellaneous:

Research in process