Arne E. Leeman
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
Mr. Arne Leeman
Arne E. Leeman was born in Hibbing, Minnesota, and moved to Duluth, Minnesota as a child. He later moved to Fairport, Ohio and graduated from Fairport High School in 1930. He then returned to Duluth and went to work for the Duluth, Minnesota News-Tribune and Herald newspapers.
Mr. Leeman was inducted into the Army on November 20, 1942, at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. Home at entry: Duluth, Minnesota.
He served as a Private First Class with Company E of the 18th Infantry in the Tunisian and Sicilian Campaigns and in the Invasion of France. In June of 1943, he went to North Africa to join the First Division, known as the Big Red One. He participated in the invasion of Sicily and other actions. After being hospitalized for malaria and hepatitis, he was released from the hospital just before the Normandy invasion in June of 1944. He was in the first group to land at Omaha Beach and was seriously wounded on June 8th.
Mr. Leeman states the following:
"I received my basic training at Fort Knox. I was trained for the Armored Force. Sent to New Port News, port of embarkation, (not sure of the exact date, June 1943 probably), and went to Oran, Northern Africa, as a replacement in E Company, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division, called the Big Red One.'
'I was placed in the Infantry because they found out that I had played a lot of sports and decided I had good legs. Had some basic training in Africa. On July 10,1943, we participated in the invasion of Sicily. The Sicilian Campaign ended on August 17, 1943, and the Regiment was sent back to England. I was hospitalized in Leamington, England, with malaria and hepatitis. This area was heavily bombarded by the Nazis, the whole time I was there.'
'I was discharged from there one week before the Normandy invasion. I participated in one hike as basic training before taking part in the invasion. I was in the first wave to hit Omaha Beach 'Easy Red' on June 4, 1944. On June 8, 1944, I was wounded, receiving a gun shot wound in my right upper arm. I was hospitalized in England where they operated on my right arm so that they could patch up the shattered nerves. Then I had another operation to relieve the terrific pain that I had in my right arm...I don't remember the date that I was discharged from the hospital to come back to the States (approximately in October) and I was sent to the Mayo General Hospital, Galesburg, Illinois...'
'As a result of the second operation my right eyelid droops and the pupil in my right eye is approximately half the size that it was prior to the operation. It affected my vision also. The bullet could not be removed because of its location so close to my spine, so it is still there."
Mr. Leeman received the following: Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal and European-African-Middle East Campaign Medal with three bronze battle stars.
He was honorably discharged November 3, 1944, at Mayo General Hospital, Galesburg, Illinois.
He returned to the News-Tribune as a display advertising salesman and worked there until his retirement in June of 1977.
Source: Hometown Heroes: The St. Louis County World War II Project. 171.
