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[[Image:Joseph McCarthy.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Senator Joseph Raymond McCarthy]]
[[Image:Joseph McCarthy.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Senator Joseph Raymond McCarthy]]
'''Joseph Raymond McCarthy''' (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was a Republican [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] from the state of [[Wisconsin]] between 1947 and 1957.
'''Joe McCarthy''' (Joseph Raymond McCarthy, November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was a Republican [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] from [[Wisconsin]] 1947 to 1957. He dominated the anti-communist movement in the U.S., 1950-54, until his career was ruined by censure by the Senate. '''"McCarthyism"''' is the aggressive exposure of Communists influences in America and the people who protect them, with scant regard for due process.
Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the most visible public figure to stand up to [[Communist]] infiltration of the [[United States]] government. He is now considered an American hero by many, though liberals still seek to tarnish his name.
Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the most visible public figure to stand up to [[Communist]] infiltration of the [[United States]] government. He is now considered an American hero by many, though liberals still seek to tarnish his name.
He was noted for claiming that there were large numbers of [[Communist Party|Communists]] and [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] spies and sympathizers, engaged in a conspiracy to undermine the [[United States]], inside the federal government. He was proven correct by government documents and inquiry, including decrypted [[Venona]] files.
He was noted for claiming that there were large numbers of [[Communist Party|Communists]] and [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] spies and sympathizers, engaged in a conspiracy to undermine the [[United States]], inside the federal government. He was proven correct by government documents and inquiry, including decrypted [[Venona]] files.
==Early life==
==Early life==
Joseph McCarthy was born to a poor Irish Catholic farm family in Appleton, Wisconsin. A hyperactive, extroverted youth, he dropped out of school after eighth grade to start his own poultry business. After the chickens all died, he enrolled in the local public high school. Thanks to enormous energy and a retentive mind, he finished his coursework in less than a year at age 20. After two undergraduate years at Marquette University, a leading Jesuit school in Milwaukee, McCarthy entered Marquette Law School, acquiring the rudiments of the profession as he knit together a statewide network among Irish and German Catholics. McCarthy was a practicing Catholic his entire life, but rarely referred to religion or ethnicity in his speeches. He actively supported President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] in the Young Democrats, but did not join Irish organizations. Although defeated in his 1936 race for district attorney, McCarthy displayed remarkable campaign abilities and an astonishing memory for faces. He had the energy and determination to meet every voter in person, exuding charm and a concern for the voter as an individual. The same tactics paid off in 1939, when he was successful in a nonpartisan contest for a regional judgeship.
The youngest judge in state history, he worked long hours to clear up a large backlog. As one local newspaper concluded, Judge McCarthy "administered justice promptly and with a combination of legal knowledge and good sense."<ref>Drummey, James J. (May 11, 1987). [http://www.jbs.org/node/632 ''The Real McCarthy Record'']. The New American, Section I. The Years Before 1950.</ref>
===Military service===
===Military service===
[[Image:JosephMcCarthyMilitaryUniform.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Joseph McCarthy in the U.S. Marine Corps]]
[[Image:JosephMcCarthyMilitaryUniform.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Joseph McCarthy in the U.S. Marine Corps]]
In 1942 McCarthy, volunteered for the Marines (as a judge he was draft exempt), becoming an intelligence officer in an aviation unit heavily engaged in combat in the South Pacific. Although assigned a desk job McCarthy flew numerous combat missions as a tail gunner—he exaggerated the number to qualify for a Distinguished Flying Cross.
During his 30 months of military service, McCarthy's record was unanimously praised by his commanding officers and Admiral [[Chester Nimitz]], commander in chief of the Pacific Fleet. Admiral Nimitz issued the following citation regarding the service of Captain McCarthy:
{{Cquote|Dear Judge McCarthy: I note with gratification your unusual accomplishments during 30 months of active duty, particularly in the combat area, and that you received a citation from Admiral Nimitz for meritorious performance of duty. Without exception, the commanding officers under whom you served spoke of the performance of your duties in the highest terms.<br>
{{Cquote|For meritorious and efficient performance of duty as an observer and rear gunner of a dive bomber attached to a Marine scout bombing squadron operating in the Solomon Islands area from September 1 to December 31, 1943. He participated in a large number of combat missions, and in addition to his regular duties, acted as aerial photographer. He obtained excellent photographs of enemy gun positions, despite intense anti-aircraft fire, thereby gaining valuable information which contributed materially to the success of subsequent strikes in the area. Although suffering from a severe leg injury, he refused to be hospitalized and continued to carry out his duties as Intelligence Officer in a highly efficient manner. His courageous devotion to duty was in keeping with the highest traditions of the naval service.<ref>Cohn, Roy (1968). ''McCarthy''. The New American Library, Inc., pgs. 273-274. ASIN B000KIR8FC</ref>}}
==United States Senate==
==United States Senate==