World War II Honoree

Leslie E. Perkins

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Hazelton, Idaho

Honored By

Nolan L. Powell

ON MARCH 10, 1943 WAS DRAFTED INTO THE U.S. ARMY FROM JEROME COUNTY, IDAHO. AT HIS INDUCTION CENTER, HE VOLUNTEERED TO JOIN THE PARATROOPERS. HE TRAVELED BY TRAIN TO CAMP TOCCOA, GEORGIA WHERE HE BECAME A RECRUIT IN THE 517TH PARACHUTE INFANTRY REGIMENT. FROM THEN UNTIL HE WAS DISCHARGED APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS AND EIGHT MONTHS LATER, HE WAS A PARATROOPER IN THE 1ST PLATOON, 'C' COMPANY, 1ST BATTALION, 517TH PARACHUTE INFANTRY REGIMENT. FROM THE PERIOD OF MARCH TO JUNE 1943, HE WENT THROUGH VIGOROUS AND DEMANDING BASIC TRAINING. IN JULY, HE TRAVELED TO THE PARACHUTE TRAINING SCHOOL AT FORT BENNING, GEORGIA. AFTER THREE MORE WEEKS OF TRAINING AND FIVE PARACHUTE JUMPS, HE RECEIVED HIS PARACHUTE WINGS. ON AUGUST 29, 1943, HE HAD HIS FIRST FURLOUGH HOME. WHEN HE RETURNED TO CAMP MACKALL, NORTH CAROLINA FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS HE HAD ADVANCED PARATROOPER TRAINING, INCLUDING SEVERAL MASS DAY AND NIGHT PARACHUTE JUMPS. IN MAY 1944, HE WENT TO CAMP PATRICK HENRY, VIRGINIA. BOARDED THE USS SANTA ROSA AT HAMPTON ROADS AND ARRIVED IN THE PORT OF NAPLES, ITALY. ON JUNE 18, 1944, JUST NORTH OF GROSSETA , ITALY IN THE MOSCONA HILLS HE HAD HIS FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH COMBAT. FOR THE NEXT 10 DAYS OF FRONT LINE DUTY HE WAS IN TWO MAJOR BATTLES, MOSCONA HILLS AND MOUNT PELOSA. FOR NEXT TWO MONTHS HE BIVOUACKED IN PUP TENTS IN AN OLIVE ORCHARD OUTSIDE THE VILLAGE OF FRASCATI, WAITING FOR THE INVASION OF SOUTHERN FRANCE. ON AUGUST 15, 1944, HE WAS PART OF A MASSIVE AIRBORNE AND SEA INVASION OF SOUTHERN FRANCE. RECEIVED HIS FIRST PURPLE HEART ON THE DAY HE PARACHUTED INTO SOUTHERN FRANCE. FOR THE NEXT 95+ DAYS HE TOOK PART IN DRIVING THE GERMANS THROUGH THE MARITIME ALPS, TOWARD THE ITALIAN BORDER. HE AND HIS COMPANY WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN LIBERATING LES ARCS, ST. VALLIER, LE BAR SUR LOUP, AND COURSEGOULES. ON AUGUST 26, HE AND ANOTHER PARATROOPER APPEARED LIKE FRENCH WORKERS, CROSSED THE PONT DE LA MONDA OVER THE VAR RIVER AND KILLED TWO GERMAN SOLDIERS GUARDING THE OTHER END OF THE BRIDGE. HE RECEIVED A BRONZE STAR MEDAL. DURING THE PERIOD FROM AUGUST 27 TO SEPTEMBER 7, 1944 HE TOOK PART IN LIBERATING BEZAUDUN-DES-ALPS, UTELLE, ST.JEAN-LA-RIVIERE, LANTOSQUE AND OCCUPIED PEIRA-CAVA. ON SEPTEMBER 21, 1944, HE TRAVELED BY TRUCK AND OCCUPIED RIDGE 'X', OVERLOOKING THE CITY OF SOSPEL. FROM SEPTEMBER 7 TO EARLY NOVEMBER 1944, HE OCCUPIED A DEFENSIVE LINE FROM PEIRA CAVA TO TETE DE LA LAVINA TO CONTROL THE ENEMY. AFTER 95+ DAYS OF COMBAT ON THE FRENCH RIVERA, HE MOVED TO A PUP TENT ENCAMPMENT AT LA COLLE-SUR-LOUP. AFTER NINETEEN DAYS OF REST, RECREATION, FURTHER TRAINING, AND ADDING REPLACEMENTS, HE BOARDED A TRAIN IN ANTIBES, FRANCE. ON DECEMBER 10, 1944 HE ARRIVED IN SOISSONS, FRANCE AND WAS ATTACHED TO THE XVIII AIRBORNE CORPS. THE MISSION WAS TO BE PART OF A LARGE AIRBORNE OPERATION ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE RHINE RIVER. ON DECEMBER 21, 1944 THEIR MISSION CHANGED. HE TRAVELED BY TRUCK TO BELGIUM ON DECEMBER 21, 1944. FOR THE NEXT 15 DAYS, UNDER SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS, HE WAS IN CONTINUOUS COMBAT ON THE NORTHERN FLANK OF THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE. FROM DECEMBER 21 TO DECEMBER 26, 1944, HE AND HIS COMPANY WERE IN A BATTLE AT TWO SMALL BELGIUM VILLAGES OF LAMORMENILL AND FREYNEUX. THEY WERE COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY ATTACKING GERMAN SOLDIERS. THEY EVENTUALLY ESCAPED BY FINDING AN UNGUARDED DIRT ROAD THROUGH AN ADJOINING WOODS. IN THIS BATTLE HE WAS WOUNDED FOR A SECOND TIME. HIS FINAL BATTLE WAS ON JANUARY 3, 1945. DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS, HE PARTICIPATED IN THE ATTACK OF BERGEVAL, BELGIUM AND HELPED CAPTURE APPROXIMATELY 121 GERMAN SOLDIERS, AND KILLED A FEW IN THE ATTACK THE FOLLOWING NIGHT WHEN THEY OCCUPIED THE WOODS ON A RIDGE EAST. A SEVERE BATTLE TOOK PLACE WITH THE GERMANS ENTRENCHED IN THE WOODS. HE WAS SEVERELY WOUNDED AND WAS IN A HOSPITAL IN ENGLAND FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. IN THE SPRING OF 1945 HE REJOINED THE 517TH IN JOIGNY, FRANCE. THE WAR IN EUROPE HAD ENDED AND HE HAD ENOUGH POINTS TO BE SENT BACK TO THE UNITED STATES. IN THE TIME OF SERVICE HE HAD ADVANCED IN RANK FROM PRIVATE, TO PRIVATE FIRST CLASS, CORPORAL, TO SERGEANT OF A SQUAD IN THE FIRST PLATOON OF 'C' COMPANY. HE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING: PARATROOPER WINGS, COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, TWO BRONZE STAR MEDALS FOR MERITORIOUS ACTION IN COMBAT, PURPLE HEART WITH TWO BRONZE STARS ATTACHED FOR THE THREE WOUNDS HE RECEIVED IN COMBAT WITH THE ENEMY, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATRE MEDAL WITH FIVE BRONZE STARS REPRESENTING THE FIVE CAMPAIGNS IN ITALY, SOUTHERN FRANCE, BELGIUM, RHINELAND, AND CENTRAL EUROPE, PLUS A BRONZE ARROWHEAD FOR THE PARACHUTE INVASION JUMP IN SOUTHERN FRANCE. ON NOVEMBER 21, 1945 AT FORT DOUGLAS, UTAH HE RECEIVED HIS SEPARATION PAPERS.