World War II Honoree

Paul Leonard Newman

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Shaker Heights, Ohio

Honored By

An Indebted American

ENLISTED ON JANUARY 22, 1943, FOUR DAYS BEFORE HIS 18TH BIRTHDAY, WITH HOPES OF BECOMING AN OFFICER AND AN AVIATOR FLYING OFF CARRIERS. HIS FLIGHT PHYSICAL DISCOVERED HE WAS COLORBLIND. HE WAS THEN SENT TO BOOT CAMP AT NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND. FOLLOWING GRADUATION, HE WAS SELECTED TO TRAIN AS AN AVIATION RADIOMAN AND REPORTED TO NAVAL AIR TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTER IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA ON JANUARY 8, 1944. LEFT JACKSONVILLE AS A RADIOMAN AND A QUALIFIED AERIAL GUNNER. WAS AN AVIATION RADIOMAN 3RD CLASS AND SERVED IN THREE PACIFIC-BASED REPLACEMENT TORPEDO SQUADRONS-VT-98, VT-99, AND VT-100. TRAINED PERSONNEL WHILE WITH VT-99. OPERATED FROM SAIPAN AND ABOARD TMB AVENGER. SERVED ABOARD THE USS BUNKER HILL DURING THE BATTLE OF OKINAWA IN THE SPRING OF 1945. WAS ABOARD THE ESCORT CARRIER HOLLANDIA WHEN THE ATOMIC BOMB WAS DROPPED ON HIROSHIMA. RETURNED HOME TO SERVE WITH CARRIER AIRCRAFT SERVICE UNIT 7 IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON. DISCHARGED ON JANUARY 21, 1946. RECIPIENT OF A NAVY COMBAT ACTION RIBBON AND THE COVETED COMBAT AIRCREW WINGS. ALSO WAS AWARDED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, THE AMERICAN AREA CAMPAIGN MEDAL, THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND THE WWII VICTORY MEDAL.