- Name: Jerome "Jerry" Leroy Kleven
- Location of Birth: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Date of Birth: June 24, 1927
- Date of Death:
- Parents: Henry and Mildred Kleven
- High School and Class: Braham, Minnesota
- College: some - no degree
- Highest Rank: 1st Class
- Branch: Navy
- Other Branch:
- Date Sworn In: June 18, 1945
- Place Sworn In: Fort Snelling, St. Paul, Minnesota
- Date of Discharge: July 15, 1946
- Place of Discharge: Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Units and Locations:
Start Date End Date Unit(s) and Location(s) Served June 20, 1945 Initial Training at Great Lakes Naval Training Center September, 1945 Shoemaker, California September, 1945 Treasure Island October, 1945 Pearl Harbor in Hawaii November, 1945 Okinawa, Hiroshima December, 1945 Sasebo, Wakayama, & Yawta, Japan February, 1946 Kobe, Japan March, 1946 Eniwetock, Marshall Islands March - May, 1946 Pearl Harbor June, 1946 Bikini, Marshall Islands June 24, 1946 Stateside - Military Awards:
- Military Highlights:
Took initial training for the Navy in Great Lakes Naval Training Center on June 20, 1945 (near Chicago, Illinois). Sent by train to Shoemaker, California in September, 1945. Spent some time waiting for transport ship at Treasure Island. We were headed for Okinawa as replacements, but the ship had trouble so had to go to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii in October, 1945.
Arrived in Okinawa in November, 1945, but severe hurricane delayed us again to pick up our new ship. Spent a few days on the island of Okinawa and had to sleep in tents while waiting for the new ship. I was assigned to U.S.S. Edwards in November, 1945. I worked in the electrical room. This shop was powered by steam turbine which produced electricity to power the two electric motors for the propellers. I worked on this and the electrical switchboard--no special training, but rather trained on-the-job. At one time, as I recall, nearly all of the crew was sick with dysentery for several days but I was fortunate and did not get sick.
We visited several harbors in Japan--Sasebo, Wakayama, Yawta, and Kobe. In Kobe I recall seeing people digging in our garbage cans looking for food.
In March, 1946, I was assigned to a large transport ship which was to be a target ship for the A-bomb test at Eniwetock in the Marshall Islands. There were several types of ships in this test. A small crew was used to bring several ships to see what affect the A-bomb would have. After leaving this ship at Eniwetock the crew was sent back to the United States. I was sent back by way of Hawaii and expected to be reassigned, but I was lucky instead and was sent back to San Francisco, California and then discharged--others were sent to other ships and then discharged in the fall of 1946.
- Wars Involved:
World War II - MIA / POW:
- Civilian Life:
Selected Itasca County Senior Citizen of the Year in 2018.
Second place for State of Minnesota Senior Citizen of the Year in 2018. - Tribal Affiliation(s):