CHARLESTON, W.Va. –
The West Virginia National Guard honors and remembers Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph "J.J.” Sale, Jr., of Fayetteville, West Virginia, who passed away on Jan. 3, 2026.
Sale served as the first State Command Sergeant Major of the West Virginia Army National Guard from January 1971 - January 1975 and again from January 1986 until his retirement in 1990. At that time, each branch CSM served as advisor to the Adjutant General and respective Army and Air Guard Commanding Officers in lieu of a Joint Forces Headquarters Senior Enlisted Leader.
“CSM Sale has been recognized as one of the most qualified weapons instructors in the WVARNG and has been the primary weapons instructor for the WVMA for many years. While a member of the 1st Recon Sqdn, he was utilized in all tank range firing and was cited for this in a letter of recommendation from the squadron commander.”
~ from a 153rd Military Police Battalion memo dated June 16, 1971
Sale began his service in the U.S. Army upon graduation from Fayetteville High School in 1948 and served in Tank Corp. While on Active duty he was assigned to Ft. Hood, Texas and rose through the non-commissioned officer ranks to tank platoon sergeant. In 1951 he was mobilized to the Korean Conflict for 18 months where he was served in six campaigns: UN Defensive, UN Offensive, CCF Intervention, First UN Counteroffensive, CCF Spring Offensive, and UN Summer-Fall Offensive.
Most notably, Sale was in the Battle of the Iron Triangle where after the loss of his platoon commander, he received a battlefield commission as a second lieutenant and took over as platoon leader. After being wounded in battle he redeployed to Ft. Hood where he was administratively reduced in rank to master sergeant and discharged from the Active Army.
Upon returning to West Virginia in 1959, Sale enlisted in the WVARNG and was assigned to Troop M, 3rd Recon Squadron, 150th Armored Cavalry. He transferred to Troop D, 1-150th AC where he was eventually promoted to first sergeant in 1965. He continued to serve in multiple positions of company first sergeant, operations sergeants major, battalion command sergeant major, and engineer group command sergeant major before being appointed to the position as the first State Command Sergeant Major of the WVARNG in January of 1971.
Command Sgt. Maj. Sale’s awards include: Legion of Merit, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, the Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, National Defense Medal, Korean War Service Medal Six Bronze Stars, Humanitarian Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal (third award), Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon w/numeral three, Army Service Ribbon, Army Overseas Ribbon, Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon, United Nations Service Medal, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Presidential Unit Citation, (fifth award), West Virginia Meritorious Service Medal, West Virginia State Service Medal (thirty years’ service), and the West Virginia Distinguished Unit Award w/Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster.
In addition to his parents Joseph James Sale, Sr. and Lottie Mosley Sale, he is also preceded in death by his wife, Wanda Dileonardo Sale; and three sisters.
Those left to cherish his memory include two daughters, Susan Rodriguez and Sally Sale; one son, Michael; three grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.
Sale was a member of the New River Baptist Church and the former postmaster in Fayetteville with 31 years in the U.S. Postal System.
He also served as Scout Master for 11 years and an avid volunteer for decades of Troop 179 in Fayetteville, where he was also a young Scout himself and the first Boy Scout of that Troop ever to receive the coveted Eagle Scout Award. He was often regard as Scout of All Scouts by his scouts and peers.
He was a member of the Post 149 American Legion and an avid Fayetteville High School sports fan where his kids played and a faithful follower of Woodrow Wilson sports, where all of his grand children played.
Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.tyreefuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Post 149 American Legion, Fayetteville, West Virginia.