World War II Honoree

Leo Willits

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Vinita, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

SERVED IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER IN THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS WITH THE 432ND SIGNAL HEAVY CONSTRUCTION BATTALION. HIS UNIT FLEW INTO CHINA AND FROM JANUARY TO MAY, 1945 HE WAS CHARGED WITH LEADING A SMALL TEAM OF AMERICAN SOLDIERS AND A WORKFORCE OF OVER 100 CHINESE LABORERS TO BUILD MORE THAN 2000 MILES OF TELEPHONE LINES SPANNING THE CHINESE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS AND THE BURMA ROAD. THE DAUNTING TASK REQUIRED THAT HIS UNIT WORK JUST BEHIND THE CHINESE ARMY FORCES AS THEY ADVANCED TO DRIVE THE IMPERIAL JAPANESE ARMY OUT OF CHINA. HIS CREW AVERAGED BUILDING ABOUT 32 MILES OF TELEPHONE LINES A DAY ALTHOUGH MANY DAYS WERE LESS DUE TO HAVING TO DIG AND BLAST THROUGH GRANITE ROCK. THE PROXIMITY TO THE FRONT LINES WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND THE HEAVY COMBAT WAS BRUTAL. HE BORE WITNESS TO THE HORRIFIC CARNAGE LEFT IN THE WAKE OF COMBAT. BOTH THE JAPANESE AND CHINESE COMMUNIST FORCES WERE MERCILESS IN THEIR PROSECUTION OF THE WAR. HIS UNIT WAS VIRTUALLY ISOLATED MUCH OF THE TIME FROM OTHER AMERICAN FORCES AND WERE NOT AWARE OF THE COURSE OF THE WAR. THEY DID NOT RECEIVE WORD ABOUT V-J DAY (VICTORY OVER JAPAN DAY) UNTIL SEVERAL DAYS AFTER IT WAS DECLARED. AWARDED THE LEGION OF MERIT, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED WITH THE RANK OF TECHNICAL SERGEANT AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.