Joseph Hertelendy served in the Hungarian army in World War Two. When Hungary found itself in an alliance with Nazi Germany, he was forced into action on the eastern front, where he saw action at Stanislaw and Stalingrad. He returned home after being wounded on the battlefield. After the war, Joseph was sent to a Soviet prison camp, where he spent a number of years before escaping to Hungary. The difficult realities of postwar Hungary convinced him to make the escape to Canada, where he has since made his life and career.