Leo E. Enlund
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
Leo E. Enlund of Alborn, Minn. was inducted into the Army on Nov. 20, 1942 at Fort Snelling, Minn.
He served as a Staff Sergeant with Company M of the 124th Infantry Regt, of the 31st Infantry Division.
He was shipped out from Newport News, VA. in February 1944.
He says: "We thought we were headed for Europe. Instead we went south experiencing a typhoon in the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal and along the west coast of South America and made a big loop south to avoid Japanese submarines. There was no convoy, only one ship -- rumored it was an old cattle ship converted to a troop ship. We were on board 38 days, often sitting motionless at night when sub activity was detected. Food rations were poor: two skimpy meals a day."
He saw combat duty in New Guinea and the, liberation of the southern Philippines.
Mr. Enlund was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Service Medal with bronze arrowhead, American Campaign Medal, Philippine Liberation Medal with one bronze service star and three overseas service bars.
He was honorably discharged on Dec. 23, 1945 at Camp McCoy, Wis.
Source: Hometown Heroes: The St. Louis County World War II Project. 75.
