Leo Martin Crowe

2023-04-18T19:32:03-05:00
Navy Badge
  • Name: Leo Martin Crowe
  • Location of Birth: Johnson County, Kansas
  • Date of Birth: September 17, 1923
  • Date of Death: December 13, 1944 (21 years old)
  • Parents: Malachi Crowe and Alice (Caparoon) Crowe
  • High School and Class: 1942 - Grand Rapids High School, Grand Rapids, Minnesota
  • College:
  • Highest Rank: RM3C (Radioman Third Class)
  • Branch: Navy
  • Other Branch:
  • Date Sworn In: 1942
  • Place Sworn In:
  • Date of Discharge:
  • Place of Discharge:
  • Units and Locations:
    Start Date End Date Unit(s) and Location(s) Served
    1942 Farragut, Idaho
  • Military Awards:

  • Military Highlights:
    Information from a news article in the Grand Rapids Herald Review, dated November 1, 1944:

    Radioman on the USS Nashville, Leo Crowe, Radioman Third Class, from Grand Rapids has almost a daily opportunity to see General Douglas MacArthur, as the Nashville is the ship which carries the commanding general to drive the Japs out of the Philippines. So far as he has learned, Crowe is the only Itasca County boy on board this ship, though there are several others from this state.

    On duty in the Pacific for the past 14 months, Crowe writes his mother, Mrs. Alice Crowe of Grand Rapids that he has some great stories to tell when he returns home. He has a brother, John, who is a corporal in the United States Marines. At present he is taking a special course in radar at Chicago.



    Information from news article in Grand Rapids Herald Review, dated January 10, 1945:

    Leo Crowe of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, radioman third class in the United States Navy, died of wounds received in action in the South Pacific.

    His mother, Mrs. Alice Crowe, received an official government message on Wednesday evening telling of her son's death.

    Leo enlisted in the Navy shortly after high school graduation.

    He had been overseas for the past year and a half.


    Information from USS Nashville, Department of the Navy, Naval Historical Center:

    Leo served on the USS Nashville and was killed in action on December 13, 1944. While enroute to the invasion of Mindoro in the Philippines on December 13, 1944, the USS Nashville was hit by a suicide plane, losing more than 130 of her crew and suffering serious fire damage amidships.

  • Wars Involved:
    World War II

  • MIA / POW:
    Killed in Action

  • Civilian Life:
    Members of the family are his mother, five sisters and three brothers. The sisters are Mrs. Margaret (Donald) Larsen, Mrs. Alice (Vincent) Saleture, Mrs. Daisy (Clifford) Moore, Mrs. W. W. Reilly, and Marie Crowe. The brothers are Joe, James and John.

    Leo is buried in Itasca Calvary Cemetery at Grand Rapids, Minnesota. (Plot C-B-31-3-2)

  • Tribal Affiliation(s):

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