Leonard Oviedo

September 20, 1916 – March 22, 2013

Leonard was born to Mexican immigrants, Margarito and Frances in Yorktown, Texas. He was 13 years old when their father was killed under mysterious circumstances, so their mother decided to move to the Woodland Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, to live with her in-laws. In Chicago, Leonard attended high school through his junior year. He dropped out of school to support his family. Prior to enlisting in the Army in 1944, Leonard was employed in a variety of capacities, including working the ice cream parlor at the world-famous Stevens Hotel of Chicago (today the Hilton Chicago). [1]

After basic training, Leonard was sent to Camp Shanks near Orangetown, NY. Camp Shanks was the largest staging area for troops departing the New York Port of Embarkation for the European Theater of Operations during World War II. He shipped out on December 30, 1943 as part of  "replacement infantry company I". The only record of his presence in Europe is at "Camp Heronston", in South Wales, where he is listed on March 9, 1944, as part of the "Roster of Casuals 456th Replacement Co."  Apparently, Leonard was originally assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division's 456th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion, destined for Italy, but his unit was re-assigned to fight in France. In late April, Leonard boarded a train to Southern England where he joined the 318th Infantry Regiment of the 80th Infantry Division. [2]  They crossed the English Channel in LSTs and Liberty Ships landing at Normandy's Utah Beach on August 2, 1944 (D-Day + 57) and assembled near St. Jores, France.  A few days later on August 8, 1944, the 80th was initiated into battle at the LeMans bridgehead. 

So far, only one thing is known for certain about the circumstances of Leonard's capture: He was reported "Missing" (see list, below) in the official roster for the 318th IR in the month of October, 1944.

Based on the documented history of the 318th Infantry Regiment, the general circumstances of Leonard's capture can be ascertained.

Under the command of Col. Lansing McVicker, on October 8-9, 1944, the 318th conducted a three-pronged advance on Les Quatre Fers, Bénicourt, and Clémery. This was part of the campaign to secure the west bank of the River Seille (tributary of the Mosell) in vicinity of Manoncourt sur Seille, in German-occupied France. The objective of that day was to capture Manoncourt sur Seille and "Hill 208".  They set out from Ville-au-Val. This action took place 24 miles directly south of Metz.  Leonard's unit took the brunt of the German attempts to relieve the main force dug in in the area because Company B was the flanking force that protected the primary US forces.  Several German units descended upon Company C and closed in on them from two sides near the towns of Mange Seille and Lixières. Leonard's unit took lots of casualties and 23 men, including Leonard, were reported MIA after the successful battle. October 8, 1944, was the 80th Division's bloodiest day. [3]

On October 10, Leonard boarded a rickety open air train car at gunpoint. It was packed with POWs from the 318th captured in the fighting of 2-8 October. On that same train was a fellow from Company B of the 318th, Bill Miller (see profile). Leonard and Bill had not known each other previously, but they became friends for life.

Bill had volunteered for outside work, cleaning up rubble on the streets of Munich and he had tried to convince Leonard to sign up too. Leonard had been very ill for nearly two months and didn't have the energy to work, even if it meant he'd get another full ration per day.  He lost a lot of weight and he nearly lost his will to live when he received word by way of the International Red Cross that his mother, Francis, had passed away while he rotted away at Stalag 7-A. Something about the news steeled his will to live and when Bill told him about a new opportunity to transfer to a small farm detail camp in Nussdorf am Inn, he took it. [4]  

Nussdorf am Inn

Riding the train to southern  Bavaria , Leonard and Bill talked about what was  ahead. Surely the  war would be over soon, they assured one another. They might as well take the chance to have better food and living arrangements. Stalag 7-A had become unbearably crowded. Ironically, when the train stopped temporarily at Rosenheim they were strafed by an American fighter. It was a close call. A stream of bullets hit the side of the open car mere inches from where they stood waving at the P-38.  They ducked for cover.  Then it was clear that the fighter was returning for another go--this time with two more friends!  The guards hurried the men out of the car and they ran for cover.   Leonard remembered that one of their guards said they were taking shelter in a building belonging to Hermann Goering. When it was safe to reboard the train and move on, the sky brightened and a beautiful alpine landscape appeared ahead. 

Two new guards,  met them at the train  station at a Brannenburg. They marched up  the road, across the  bridge over the  River Inn, and up the way to  a  picturesque  village.  An old, windowless building had  been  refurbished as a tiny camp. It was just one fenced-in building. He remembered thinking how easy it would be for them to escape.  Red Cross  parcels awaited inside and  no work was scheduled for the weekend. They had two days off.  The  German guards showed them their  bunks.  Leonard claimed the high bunk and Bill settled in below.

Leonard was assigned to do road work for the first couple weeks, along with fellow POWs Jeff Banks, Armando Uva, and Sam Genovese. These four men dug drainage ditches, cleared roadside brush, and put down crushed stone. An unnamed local Nussdorfer's horse-drawn wagon was used to transport the  stone  that they would load, unload, and spread with shovels and rakes. This work was supervised by "an old, retired, German Navy Captain who spoke a little English".  [-]

On June 11, 1945, the War Department published a list of 133 liberated local POWs in Chicago Tribune. Leonard was among them.  This was the first time his family heard about his status since he was reported missing in action. [5]

After spending some time in New York City on leave in the summer of 1945, Leonard returned home to Chicago in mid-August to live with his brother-in-law, Nasario Gomez, and found steady work as a handyman at the Inland Steel Company. [6]

Leonard's son Carl was a highly decorated soldier who fought in the Vietnam conflict, and sadly, passed away young.

In retirement, Leo and his wife, Violet, lived in Louisville and La Grange, Kentucky.  Violet passed away two years before Leo. [7]

[1] 1940 United States Federal Census for Chicago, Illinois; Obituary article by Mindy Hagen re Susie Oviedo Gomez (Leonard's sister) Chicago Tribune, Aug. 22, 2003, Section 3, p. 12.

[2]  US National Archives: "Co. Morning Report of 30 Dec. 1943-Camp Shanks, N.Y., Shipment GM-830"; US Nat. Archives: "Morning Report of 9 March 1944, APO 872, Camp Heronston, S. Wales, Roster of Casuals 456th Replacement Co."

[3] NARA: HQ 318th Inf., APO 8 US Army, History of October 1944; https://www.80thdivision.com/history.html

[4] The Oakland Kenwood Outlook, Mar. 29, 1945, p. 2; Chicago Tribune, March 2, 1945, p. 23. 

[-]  Note: This is only known because of the recollections of fellow POW, Jeff Banks.

[5] "Yanks Liberated from Nazi Camps", Chicago Tribune, June 12, 1945, p. 9,

[6] 1950 United States Federal Census for Chicago, Illinois.

[7]  Obituaries of Leonard and Violet Oviedo. 

        Leo's Obituary: https://www.newcomerkentuckiana.com/obituaries/leonard-oviedo

        Violet's Obituary: https://www.newcomerkentuckiana.com/obituaries/violet-wilson-oviedo