Enlisted September 27, 1943 - Killed in Action April 11, 1945

Lee Larsen was born August 10, 1923 in Sterling, Utah.  Lee grew up in Sterling helping on the family farm.  He loved the beautiful mountains and spent his free time fishing , hunting, and horseback riding.  He was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was involved in scouting.  Lee along with his close friend Lucien Peterson helped other farmers in the area with their crops and worked long hours during the summers in the beet fields.  Lee was very particular in every way and in every thing he did.  He attended school in both the Sterling and Manti schools.  He loved life and his country and was a friend to all those who knew him. 

Lee loved his family and was very attentive to his parents.  Even so, he chose to volunteer for the army against his family's wishes.  He was afford a deferment because of his father being confined to a wheelchair, but joined the army September 27, 1943 in Fort Douglas, Utah, and from there to Camp Roberts California. He was stationed at Camp Roberts for seventeen weeks of basic training, in which, he was awarded four separate medals for sharp shooting with the Pistol, Carbine Rifle, the MI Rifle, and the Machine Gun.

On March 23, 1944, his company (C) 88th Infantry Thg. Battalion was shipped overseas to the island of New Caladona and at that time, Lee was advanced to (PFC) Private First Class.  From there, his company joined the Americal Division in the Pacific Theater of War.  Here, he was trained in heavy weapons, 30 and 50 caliber machine guns.  The division fought through the Solomon Islands and the Island of Bougenville.  Lee received two citations for bravery in the battle of Hill 260 called "The Bloody Nose Ridge".  From there, the division moved to the Philippine Islands and was stationed on the island of "Ceba" where he was a "gunner" on the 30 caliber machine gun.

Lee was killed on April 11, 1945 when a Japanese mortar shell hit the machine gun nest.  His body was then buried in the islands and at a later date, exhumed and sent to his home in Sterling, Utah, accompanied by a Color Guard Soldier who remained with the casket until he was laid to rest in the Sterling Cemetery with honors on September 28, 1948.  Lee was given the "Purple Heart" for giving his life in the service of his country.  When the war came to an end in August 1945, few soldiers of the Americal Division had survived.