thedrifter
12-20-07, 08:12 AM
Dec 20, 2007
Marine bond endures all
Time, distance no obstacle in mission of honor
If there’s a bond that holds the U.S. Marines together and especially the legacy of those who have gone before them, it certainly applies to Dudley native Joseph Leonard, a former sergeant who served with the 1st Marine Division during the Korean War.
A resident of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Mr. Leonard came across a list some years ago of 1st Marine Division Medal of Honor recipients from World War II and forward. One of the recipients was from Cambridge, N.Y., about 100 miles from his home, but a community he had gone through many times on work-related trips.
The Korean War list included Sgt. Frederick W. Mausert III of Cambridge. Mr. Leonard wondered whether the sergeant’s hometown had a memorial to remember its Medal of Honor winner. Then, the Dudley native stopped at the
village clerk’s office, the Cambridge library and American Legion Post 634. The hero was unknown in his hometown.
Mr. Leonard set out to rectify things, having fought in the same war with a rather elite unit, the Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Co. (ANGLICO), created in 1949 in the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions. Marines in the unit gave ground commanders access to aircraft, artillery, and naval gunfire. Coalition forces were sometimes involved.
The search for the Cambridge, N.Y., Medal of Honor recipient took all kinds of twists, but finally confirmed the report released by the 1st Marine Division Association. Frederick W. Mausert was born in Cambridge, N.Y., and started school there. A series of moves followed, some because his parents divorced, and young Frederick took his stepfather’s name of Barnes elsewhere.
People in Cambridge, Legion officers and the village historian took up Mr. Leonard’s challenge and, for his part, the Dudley native learned that Sgt. Mausert had attended schools in Monson, maybe an hour’s drive from his hometown. His task was to communicate with Marine Corps commanders and 1st Marine Division Association officers.
It took years but the puzzle was finally solved, and a memorial to Sgt. Mausert was dedicated in Cambridge in 1991, 40 years after he was killed in action. The Medal of Honor award had been presented posthumously at the Pentagon in 1952 to his mother, Mrs. Wentworth Barnes of Baltimore, who subsequently moved to Florida. The particulars to Sgt. Mausert’s heroism came from his platoon leader. He sacrificed his life to save others.
A codicil was added to the story last month when a woman who dated Frederick Mausert in high school learned belatedly about Mr. Leonard’s search for a Marine he never knew. Mr. Leonard and his wife, the former Irene Deptula of Webster, drove to Cambridge to meet the woman, visited the memorial, and reviewed the story behind its dedication.
Since both have friends here, it’s appropriate to note that Joseph and Irene Leonard have three grown children and two grandchildren. And it seems just yesterday they were students at Bartlett High School in Webster.
•
Jessie A. Hughes of Lower Gore Road, Webster, has an additional wish to convey this Christmas. Her 17th great-grandchild, Joshua Paul Lamarre, son of grandson Paul and Sheila Lamarre, was born recently. The new addition to Mrs. Hughes’ Santa list has an address in Mansfield, Texas.
Ellie
Marine bond endures all
Time, distance no obstacle in mission of honor
If there’s a bond that holds the U.S. Marines together and especially the legacy of those who have gone before them, it certainly applies to Dudley native Joseph Leonard, a former sergeant who served with the 1st Marine Division during the Korean War.
A resident of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Mr. Leonard came across a list some years ago of 1st Marine Division Medal of Honor recipients from World War II and forward. One of the recipients was from Cambridge, N.Y., about 100 miles from his home, but a community he had gone through many times on work-related trips.
The Korean War list included Sgt. Frederick W. Mausert III of Cambridge. Mr. Leonard wondered whether the sergeant’s hometown had a memorial to remember its Medal of Honor winner. Then, the Dudley native stopped at the
village clerk’s office, the Cambridge library and American Legion Post 634. The hero was unknown in his hometown.
Mr. Leonard set out to rectify things, having fought in the same war with a rather elite unit, the Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Co. (ANGLICO), created in 1949 in the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions. Marines in the unit gave ground commanders access to aircraft, artillery, and naval gunfire. Coalition forces were sometimes involved.
The search for the Cambridge, N.Y., Medal of Honor recipient took all kinds of twists, but finally confirmed the report released by the 1st Marine Division Association. Frederick W. Mausert was born in Cambridge, N.Y., and started school there. A series of moves followed, some because his parents divorced, and young Frederick took his stepfather’s name of Barnes elsewhere.
People in Cambridge, Legion officers and the village historian took up Mr. Leonard’s challenge and, for his part, the Dudley native learned that Sgt. Mausert had attended schools in Monson, maybe an hour’s drive from his hometown. His task was to communicate with Marine Corps commanders and 1st Marine Division Association officers.
It took years but the puzzle was finally solved, and a memorial to Sgt. Mausert was dedicated in Cambridge in 1991, 40 years after he was killed in action. The Medal of Honor award had been presented posthumously at the Pentagon in 1952 to his mother, Mrs. Wentworth Barnes of Baltimore, who subsequently moved to Florida. The particulars to Sgt. Mausert’s heroism came from his platoon leader. He sacrificed his life to save others.
A codicil was added to the story last month when a woman who dated Frederick Mausert in high school learned belatedly about Mr. Leonard’s search for a Marine he never knew. Mr. Leonard and his wife, the former Irene Deptula of Webster, drove to Cambridge to meet the woman, visited the memorial, and reviewed the story behind its dedication.
Since both have friends here, it’s appropriate to note that Joseph and Irene Leonard have three grown children and two grandchildren. And it seems just yesterday they were students at Bartlett High School in Webster.
•
Jessie A. Hughes of Lower Gore Road, Webster, has an additional wish to convey this Christmas. Her 17th great-grandchild, Joshua Paul Lamarre, son of grandson Paul and Sheila Lamarre, was born recently. The new addition to Mrs. Hughes’ Santa list has an address in Mansfield, Texas.
Ellie