World War II Honoree

Leonard Eugene Pepin

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

St. Paul, Minnesota

Honored By

Maria Pepin Sifuentes

Relationship

Granddaughter

'LEN' WAS TRAINED AT CAMP FARRAGUT, IDAHO IN BOTH BASIC AND SPECIAL SIGNALMAN AND RADIOMAN SCHOOLING. UPON COMPLETION OF TRAINING THERE, HE WAS SENT TO 1ST JOINT ASSAULT SIGNAL COMPANY, 4TH MARINE DIVISION AT VARIOUS MILITARY BASES IN CALIFORNIA, WASHINGTON AND HAWAII. THESE TRAINING SESSIONS WERE IN PREPARATION FOR AMERICA'S 'CRUSADE IN THE PACIFIC', ISLAND-HOPPING WITH NAVAL FORCES FROM TROOP TRANSPORT SHIPS. HIS DUTIES WERE EXTREMELY PERILOUS, GOING ASHORE WITH MARINES IN INITIAL LANDINGS AS A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNICATION TEAM. PROVIDED COMMUNICATIONS FROM MARINE CORPS PERSONNEL ASHORE TO THE ESCORTING NAVAL SHIPS, REQUESTING LARGE GUNFIRE TO SILENCE JAPANESE GUN POSITIONS. THESE OPERATIONS STARTED IN JANUARY 1944 WITH THE INVASION OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS, THEN ON SAIPAN AND GUAM IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS, LEYTE, LUZON AND LINGAYEN IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS; THEN ON OKINAWA; AND FINALLY WITH OCCUPATION FORCES IN NAGASAKI, JAPAN IN OCTOBER 1945. HE WAS AWARDED THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL FOR HIS DUTIES ON THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC FRONT.