Leonard C. Petroskey

Era: World War II

Military Branch: Army

Leonard Carl Petroskey was inducted into the Army on Aug. 6, 1942.

He was a Staff Sergeant and a platoon leader with Battery D, 448th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion in Alaska and the European Theater. He landed at Utah Beach in Normandy on June 12 (D-plus-6).

He says: "We loaded and unloaded war supplies in the dark and operated heavy equipment."

"A rifle grenade explosion injured my ear drum and a small piece hit my back. We went across France, Belgium and Holland to Bremerhaven, Germany...We guarded thousands of German prisoners of war....I froze a little toe in Belgium....Then went to LeHavre and 8,000 men traveled on the USS Henderson to Camp Miles Standish, Mass.

I was discharged on Dec. 18, 1945, with a 70 percent disability...I had a million close calls and must have had a guardian angel."

Mr. Petrosky received the: Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Service Medal, European-African-Middle East Campaign Service Medal with two battle stars, World War II Victory Medal and five overseas service bars.

Source: Hometown Heroes: The St. Louis County World War II Project. 251.