World War II Honoree

Frank L. Polis

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Collinwood, Ohio

Honored By

An Indebted American

DRAFTED BEFORE THE JAPANESE BOMBED PEARL HARBOR. SERVED WITH THE 135TH INFANTRY. AFTER BASIC TRAINING, WENT OVERSEAS ON FEBRUARY 19, 1942 AND ARRIVED IN EUROPE ON MARCH 2, 1942, HIS 28TH BIRTHDAY. SERVED AS A MEDICAL AIDMAN AND AS A WARD ATTENDANT IN HOSPITALS CARING FOR WOUNDED SOLDIERS. WAS A 'LITTER BEARER' WHO RAN ONTO THE BATTLEFIELD TO CARRY WOUNDED SOLDIERS BACK TO SAFETY IN ITALY AND AFRICA. MANY TIMES BOMBS WERE DROPPING AND BULLETS WERE FLYING EVERYWHERE. INVOLVED IN FOUR CAMPAIGNS: TUNISIA, ALGERIA, ROME-ARNO, AND NAPLES-FOGGIA. WOUNDED BY MORTAR FIRE IN ITALY ON JULY 9, 1944. RETURNED TO THE STATES ON MARCH 21, 1945. RECEIVED AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE SIGNED BY MAJOR E. H. KIRKLAND AT CAMP ATTEBURY, INDIANA ON MAY 19, 1945. SERVED THREE YEARS, SIX MONTHS, AND ONE DAY. RECIPIENT OF THE AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE RIBBON, THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATRE RIBBON WITH FOUR BRONZE STARS, A GOOD CONDUCT RIBBON, AND A PURPLE HEART.