Joseph Joiner grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he dreamed of being a fighter pilot as he watched the Navy planes fly overhead from the Naval Air Station. When the war started, he applied to both the Navy and the Army pilot training programmes. The Army accepted him first, and upon completion of the Aviation Cadet Programme he was assigned to the 4th Fighter Group, 336th Squadron.

In time his flight commanders were shot down one by one, and he became a Flight Commander - prematurely he felt, since he had only 170 hours of combat and had graduated only nine months earlier from flying training.

Joe went on to complete his tour and two additional 50-hour extensions. On 20 February 1945, on his third 50-hour extension, he flew his 84th and last combat mission. It was a fitting way to end his tour, as he shot down two Fw-190s. Colonel Stewart, the Group Commander, insisted that Joe take a 30 day leave to the States. While at home he heard the European war was ending, so he cut his leave short and returned to New York, hoping to rejoin his Group, which he felt would be heading to the Pacific, but for the Group and for him the war was over.

Colonel Joiner led the 336th Squadron on 20 combat missions and the entire Group on two missions. among his other notable accomplishments Joe flew a tour in Vietnam, a tour as Squadron Commander of F-102s in Greenland during the "Cold war", and flew a P-51 on the first Air Force aerobatic team, "The Red Devils", in Las Vegas in 1948 and 1949.

Joe had 8.5 enemy aircraft destroyed to his credit flying with the 4th Fighter Group, where he earned two Distinguished Flying Crosses, nine Air Medals, and a Unit Citation.