Leo J. Meyer
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| Leo John Meyer | |
|---|---|
| October 6, 1917 – January 12, 2006 (aged 88) | |
 Leo J. Meyer 1969 |
|
| Place of birth | New York, New York |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1937-1971 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Battles/wars | World War II: -Central Pacific Campaign -Leyte Campaign -South Philippines Campaign Korean War: -CCF Intervention Campaign -1st UN Counteroffensive Campaign -CCF Spring Offensive Campaign -Summer - Fall Offensive Campaign Vietnam War: -Counteroffensive Phase VI Campaign -Tet 69/Counteroffensive Campaign -Summer-Fall 1969 Campaign |
| Awards | Combat Infantryman Badge (3) Army Distinguished Service Medal Soldiers Medal Bronze Star (3) Purple Heart (2) |
Leo J. Meyer[1] (b.October 6, 1917 in New York City, New York) was a soldier in the United States Army, one of only three hundred and three men who have been awarded three Combat Infantryman Badges out of more than the twenty-three million [2][3] men who served in the US Army between December 1941 and December 2007.
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[edit] Military service
In 1936 Meyer joined the New York National Guard 102nd Engineer Regimental Field Music as a bandsman through the NYNG Cadet Corps. In October 1937 he enlisted into Company ‘B’, 1st Battalion, 102nd Engineer Regiment and by May 1940 was a corporal with the 102nd Engineers and promoted to supply sergeant. From November 1941 to November 1942 Meyer served in the Pacific and in March 1943 he completed the US Army Air Forces Officer Candidate School (OCS). He later volunteered for service in the infantry and in June 1945 was serving as a lieutenant in Company ‘A’, 34th US Infantry, 24th Infantry Division (United States) in the Philippines. Meyer earned his first Combat Infantryman Badge during the Leyte Campaign.
After serving in occupied Japan as a lieutenant he mustered out of the Army of the United States and reenlisted in the Army Reserve and by June 1947 he was back on active duty as a Regular Army master sergeant. He received his high school GED and his officer's commission was reinstated. As a 1st lieutenant Meyer organized and directed the 7th Infantry Regimental Drum and Bugle Corps. By 1950 he was on the Korean peninsula where he served under Frederick C. Weyand, participated in several combat engagements and earned his second Combat Infantryman Badge during the Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) Intervention Campaign (Nov 1950 to Jan 1951).
He later served as an advisor to the Massachusetts National Guard, a staff officer in Bad Kreuznach, Germany, an operations officer at the Army Disciplinary Barracks in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania and as a staff officer at Fort Dix, New Jersey. In 1961 Major Meyer became a warrant officer and was assigned as an intelligence technician in what was known as the Counter Intelligence Corps, serving in New York City, Camden, NJ , Honolulu, HI and Washington, DC. In 1967 he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Military Science from the University of Maryland and the following year he volunteered again for service in a combat zone. Assigned to 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, in Nha Trang, Vietnam, at age 51, Meyer trained for and earned his parachutist wings.[4][5][6][7][8]. Meyer earned his 3rd Combat Infantryman Badge while serving in the Rung Sat Special Zone with the 5th Mobile Strike Force B55 (December 68 to February 69). In March 1969 he was promoted to colonel in the Army Reserve.
From 1969 to 1971 Meyer was again assigned in the Washington, D.C. area as an intelligence technician with the 116th Military Intelligence Group. He retired as a colonel in 1971. Meyer was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on 18 May 2006[9].
[edit] Contributions to the arts
In 1953 while assigned in Massachusetts, Meyer met Dr. "Ralph" Bussler, an Osteopathic Doctor who had established a business making 54mm lead figures, "Tin soldiers" (soldiers, horses, and weapons) for collectors and war game enthusiasts. He learned how to create and cast the figures and contributed to the Bussler line of civil war sets. Bussler and Meyer figures are featured in the book Making And Collecting Military Miniatures by Bob Bard[10].
In 1964 while assigned in Honolulu, Meyer learned the art of the American Whaler, Scrimshaw (carving on whale ivory) from Richard (Dick) Hull. He carved larger sperm whale teeth with eagles’ heads or traditional scenes of ships and whales and smaller pieces for jewelry. During his first assignment in Washington, DC his art was on exhibit in the Fort Lesley J. McNair Post Library and he participated in the first Smithsonian Institution Festival of American Folklife, July 1967 as a Scrimshaw Artist.[11] Some of his Scrimshaw Art is exhibited in the book Scrimshaw: variations on a theme by Martha Bowen[12].
[edit] References
- ^ United States Army Personnel buried in Arlington national Cemetery
- ^ figures represent the total number of men serving in the US Army during WWII, Korean War and the Vietnam War and not the periods between or since the last listed conflict
- ^ *National Infantry Museum Three-Time Recipients of the Combat Infantryman Badge (U.S. Army)
- ^ Army Times Newspaper, published by the Army Times Publishing Company, 4 June 1969
- ^ Stars and Stripes Newspaper, Far East Edition published under the Department of Defense in accordance with DoD Directive 5122.11, 4 June 1969
- ^ Veritas Vol VIII No 9, published by the Office of the Historian, John F. Kennedy Center for Military Assistance, Jun 13 1969
- ^ Army Digest, published by the Public Affairs Office, HQ Department of the Army, August 1969
- ^ Green Beret Magazine, published by HQ, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, RVN, August 1969
- ^ United States Army Personnel Buried In Arlington National Cemetery (M-Z)
- ^ Bard, Bob. Making and Collecting MILITARY MINIATURES. New York: Robert M McBride CO., INC 1957. LC Control No.:57010757
- ^ Place, Jeff. "Smithsonian Folklife Festival Documentation Collection". Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. 1967
- ^ Bowen, Martha. Scrimshaw: Variations on a Theme. San Francisco, CA: Martha Bowen, 1988. LC Control No.:88070736
[edit] External links
- World War II Registry of Remembrances, The National World War II Memorial
- Registry of the American Soldier, US Army National Museum
- National Infantry Museum Three-Time Recipients of the Combat Infantryman Badge (U.S. Army)
- List of Three-Time Combat Infantryman Badge Recipients portable data file provided by the National Infantry Museum
- Smithsonian Institution Festival of American Folklife, July 1967
