Secretariat
05-26-2004, 06:13 PM
Easy Company’ Veteran to Accompany Kerry to WWII Memorial Opening
May 26, 2004
For Immediate Release
Washington, DC
Saturday May 29, Joseph Lesniewski, one of the original ‘Band of Brothers’ from the ‘Easy Company’ of the 101st Airborne Division will join presidential candidate John Kerry at the official opening of the WWII memorial. A member of the ‘Greatest Generation,’ like Kerry’s own father, Lesniewski served the United States in WWII.
Lesniewski, a decorated war hero, is one of the 18 living paratroopers from original 147 members of Easy Company. He was trained by the Office of Strategic Studies (OSS) and was part of the heroic and immortalized 506th Regiment depicted in the Stephen Ambrose novel Band of Brothers. Lesniewski “jumped” into enemy territory on D-Day during the invasion of Normandy, earning numerous medals including the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.
Speaking about his own generation of soldiers Lesniewski said, “We are more patriotic than anybody ever was. I was in combat for 235 days- you don’t have to tell me about patriotism. I believe George Bush is messing things up with this war, the economy and with America’s veterans.”
Kerry and Lesniewski, both combat veterans, met for the first time in May at an airport landing in Erie, PA. In Pennsylvania and across the country, Veterans for Kerry are working to turn out veterans to vote for John Kerry. “We have a lot of people here in Pennsylvania that feel the same way as me. We are working day and night to get John Kerry elected because he is the only candidate with a plan to address the concerns of America’s military families and veterans.”
John Kerry grew up admiring the fighters of the Greatest Generation. As a boy, he spent time on Maxwell Airforce Base in Montgomery, AL and Camp Cooke in California. After graduating from Yale, Kerry followed in the footsteps of his father, who specialized in test flying planes, and joined the Navy. He served two tours of duty in Vietnam.
Veterans across the country, disappointed with George Bush’s broken promises to take care of America’s military families, are organizing for John Kerry in unprecedented numbers. They are conducting vet-to-vet phone banks, veteran visibilities and internet operations in forty-five states across the country on behalf of John Kerry for President.
Band of Brothers
Joseph Lesniewski
Joseph Lesniewski, one of the original ‘Band of Brothers’ from the Easy company, the 101st Airborne Division will accompany John Kerry to the opening of the World War II Memorial. Lesniewski, a member of the Airborne, was part of Company E a group of soldiers who jumped at the invasion of Normandy.
Joseph was born in Erie, Aug. 29, 1920, the son of Polish immigrants: Joseph and Rose Ciechacka Lesniewski. He enlisted in the Army Oct. 17, 1942 and volunteered for the Army Air Force. After training in California, he applied for Cadet school to become a pilot. "I passed the test and was approved for Cadet School," he said. "I wanted to go to school to fly planes." The Cadet school lost his paperwork and Joseph, tired of waiting, decided to join the Airborne. He was trained by the OSS since he knew Polish and was part of the heroic and immortalized 506th Regiment depicted in Stephen Ambrose’s Band of Brothers. Joseph was part of a “jump” into enemy territory on D-Day, during the invasion of Normandy.
For his bravery in WWII, Lesniewski was presented medals including the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Combat Parachutists Badge with two stars, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart with an oak leaf cluster (multiple wounds), the U.S. Army Good Conduct Medal, the European Campaign Medal with four stars and the invasion arrow, the American Campaign Medal, the Medal of Occupation with Germany clasp, the World War II Victory Medal, the Netherlands Orange Lanyard, the Belgian Fourragerrie and the World War II lapel pin.
He first met with John Kerry at an airport greet in Eerie, PA on May 10, 2004. According to the other veterans on site, ‘John Kerry’s jaw dropped’ when he met Joseph. He became part of PA Veterans for Kerry through his VFW Post 470 in Erie, PA.
May 26, 2004
For Immediate Release
Washington, DC
Saturday May 29, Joseph Lesniewski, one of the original ‘Band of Brothers’ from the ‘Easy Company’ of the 101st Airborne Division will join presidential candidate John Kerry at the official opening of the WWII memorial. A member of the ‘Greatest Generation,’ like Kerry’s own father, Lesniewski served the United States in WWII.
Lesniewski, a decorated war hero, is one of the 18 living paratroopers from original 147 members of Easy Company. He was trained by the Office of Strategic Studies (OSS) and was part of the heroic and immortalized 506th Regiment depicted in the Stephen Ambrose novel Band of Brothers. Lesniewski “jumped” into enemy territory on D-Day during the invasion of Normandy, earning numerous medals including the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.
Speaking about his own generation of soldiers Lesniewski said, “We are more patriotic than anybody ever was. I was in combat for 235 days- you don’t have to tell me about patriotism. I believe George Bush is messing things up with this war, the economy and with America’s veterans.”
Kerry and Lesniewski, both combat veterans, met for the first time in May at an airport landing in Erie, PA. In Pennsylvania and across the country, Veterans for Kerry are working to turn out veterans to vote for John Kerry. “We have a lot of people here in Pennsylvania that feel the same way as me. We are working day and night to get John Kerry elected because he is the only candidate with a plan to address the concerns of America’s military families and veterans.”
John Kerry grew up admiring the fighters of the Greatest Generation. As a boy, he spent time on Maxwell Airforce Base in Montgomery, AL and Camp Cooke in California. After graduating from Yale, Kerry followed in the footsteps of his father, who specialized in test flying planes, and joined the Navy. He served two tours of duty in Vietnam.
Veterans across the country, disappointed with George Bush’s broken promises to take care of America’s military families, are organizing for John Kerry in unprecedented numbers. They are conducting vet-to-vet phone banks, veteran visibilities and internet operations in forty-five states across the country on behalf of John Kerry for President.
Band of Brothers
Joseph Lesniewski
Joseph Lesniewski, one of the original ‘Band of Brothers’ from the Easy company, the 101st Airborne Division will accompany John Kerry to the opening of the World War II Memorial. Lesniewski, a member of the Airborne, was part of Company E a group of soldiers who jumped at the invasion of Normandy.
Joseph was born in Erie, Aug. 29, 1920, the son of Polish immigrants: Joseph and Rose Ciechacka Lesniewski. He enlisted in the Army Oct. 17, 1942 and volunteered for the Army Air Force. After training in California, he applied for Cadet school to become a pilot. "I passed the test and was approved for Cadet School," he said. "I wanted to go to school to fly planes." The Cadet school lost his paperwork and Joseph, tired of waiting, decided to join the Airborne. He was trained by the OSS since he knew Polish and was part of the heroic and immortalized 506th Regiment depicted in Stephen Ambrose’s Band of Brothers. Joseph was part of a “jump” into enemy territory on D-Day, during the invasion of Normandy.
For his bravery in WWII, Lesniewski was presented medals including the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Combat Parachutists Badge with two stars, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart with an oak leaf cluster (multiple wounds), the U.S. Army Good Conduct Medal, the European Campaign Medal with four stars and the invasion arrow, the American Campaign Medal, the Medal of Occupation with Germany clasp, the World War II Victory Medal, the Netherlands Orange Lanyard, the Belgian Fourragerrie and the World War II lapel pin.
He first met with John Kerry at an airport greet in Eerie, PA on May 10, 2004. According to the other veterans on site, ‘John Kerry’s jaw dropped’ when he met Joseph. He became part of PA Veterans for Kerry through his VFW Post 470 in Erie, PA.