World War II Honoree

Leonard Polidor

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Friends of American Heroes

WHEN THE JAPANESE ATTACKED PEARL HARBOR ON DECEMBER 7, 1941 HE ENTERED THE NAVY THE NEXT DAY. HE WAS 17. HIS FIRST SHIP WAS THE USS DENEBOLA, A DESTROYER TENDER AND THE FLAGSHIP OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC FLEET. BUT IT WAS ON THE USS BROOKLYN, A LIGHT CRUISER, ON WHICH HE SERVED AS A GUNNER'S MATE FIRST CLASS, THAT HE SAW ACTION IN NORTH AFRICA AND THE INVASION OF SICILY. HE HAD VIVID MEMORIES OF THE NEAR-DISASTROUS INVASION OF ANZIO WHEN HIS SHIP CAME UNDER FIRE FROM GERMAN POSITIONS ON THE SHORE, INCLUDING THE BIG GUN THE AMERICANS CALLED 'ANZIO ANNIE.' WHEN THE ALLIES TRIED TO KNOCK OUT ANNIE, WHICH COULD HURL A SHELL NEARLY AS BIG AS A VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE, IT WAS WHEELED ON RAILS BACK INTO A CAVE. DURING ONE SHELLING, HE WAS KNOCKED ON HIS BUTT WITH A BAD CONCUSSION. HE COULDN'T FEEL HIS LEGS AND WAS SURE HE HAD LOST THEM. HE THOUGHT HIS NAVY SERVICE WAS OVER IN 1945. HAVING BEEN IN THE NAVY SINCE THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR, BUT THE NAVY WASN'T FINISHED WITH HIM YET. HE WOULD BE A 'PLANK' MEMBER, OR ORIGINAL CREWMAN, ON THE NEWLY COMMISSIONED USS LOS ANGELES, A HEAVY CRUISER THAT SAILED TO GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA IN PREPARATION FOR THE SOUTH PACIFIC AND THE INVASION OF JAPAN. THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE TREPIDATION AMONG THE CREW. THEY HAD HEARD HORROR STORIES OF NAVAL SERVICE IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC, THE TERRIBLE ISLAND INVASIONS, THE KAMIKAZE ATTACKS. SO, WHEN WORD REACHED THE SHIP THAT JAPAN HAD SURRENDERED AFTER THE ATOM BOMB ATTACKS ON AUGUST 6, 1945, CREWMEN WERE SO HAPPY THAT SOME ACTUALLY JUMPED INTO THE OCEAN. AMONG THE HONORS HE RECEIVED WAS A CITATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE STAR SCOPE, WHICH ENABLED THE USER TO NAVIGATE BY USING THE STARS.