World War II veteran receives Purple Heart

[The Patriot]

Who: Gale L. Fuller, Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment St. Paul.

What: Fuller will be presented a Purple Heart for injuries sustained during an attack on the USS Leopold in 1944.

Where: Minnetonka Assisted Living, 14505 Minnetonka Dr., Minnetonka, Minn., 55345

When: Friday, March 9, 2012 at 10:30 a.m.

MINNETONKA, Minn. — The Coast Guard is scheduled to honor a World War II veteran, Friday, with a Purple Heart for injuries sustained during an attack by a German submarine in 1944.

Honored will be Gale L. Fuller.

Fuller, then a Seaman 1st Class, was injured during an attack on March 9, 1944, while serving aboard the USS Leopold. Fuller survived a torpedo, freezing waters and other harsh elements more than 100 miles from land before being rescued by the USS Joyce. The Leopold was one of 10 Destroyer Escorts manned entirely by Coast Guardsmen performing maritime security missions across the north Atlantic working to guarantee safe delivery of men and material to England, which was a critical element to the success of the D-Day invasion for the Allies.

Editor's Note: Media interested in attending the event should contact Chief Petty Officer Sean Decataldo, 952-806-0021, by 12 p.m., Thursday, to confirm attendance.




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