Leonard Coniglio's Page

Leonard Coniglio

Guy and Leonard
about 1924

Len ("Nardu" or "Narduzzu", as our mother called him) was the family's "rolling stone". Maybe it was because he shared his birthday, 12 January, with the great American wanderer and author Jack London, who gathered ideas for his stories from his time as a hobo and a sailor. In 1930, at age 14, Leonard literally ran away to join the circus! Family lore doesn't recall the details, but on June 23, 1930, the Ringling Brothers ~ Barnum and Bailey Circus visited Buffalo. So it's not hard to imagine that, tired of school and not looking forward to another summer picking beans at Musacchio's farm in North Collins, young Leonard hopped into a circus boxcar and rolled the rails with the circus to Rochester, Albany, and points East.

	Leonard joined the Navy before WWII, and missed being at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese surprise attack by one week. After serving in the war, he returned home for a while. A bachelor, he later re-enlisted and served in the Pacific once more, in and around the U.S. territory of the Island of Guam. Home in Buffalo again, he had our mother's "green thumb" and love for gardening, and planted many flowers, shrubs and fruit trees around our house at 56 Ritt Street. Periodically, the wanderlust would strike, and he'd take a job in New York City, or Chicago, or parts unknown.
Joe Merendino, Len, and Joe Calcaterra

Leonard's second "Working Papers" as a dishwasher at the Swan Restaurant.

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Click flag for more		. Len and Rosa with Dennis Denisco .
Click flag for more		Len and Raymond Guy ~ 1942 ~
	Leonard in Guam ~ 1946
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Leonard's "Crossing the Equator" Certificate.
The ship was the troop carrier USS Republic.
Note the date, December 6, 1941 ~ one day before "Pearl Harbor".

On 16 December 1940, Leonard joined the US Navy. On 10 July 1941 he completed training at the Naval Training Station at Great Lakes, Illinois and was transferred to New York City, to the Naval Receiving Ship. On 22 July 1941, he was assigned as a Fireman Second Class (F2c) to the former USAT Republic, when the ship was reassigned to the Navy and commissioned as the troopship USS Republic (AP-33), under Commander G. Clark. Her armament consisted of one 5" and four 3" mounts. After a crossing from New York to Iceland, Republic sailed for San Francisco and in November left for the Southwest Pacific. Transporting the eventual legendary "Lost Battalion", the 2nd Battalion, 131st Field Artillery, 36th Division (Texas National Guard), she reached Pearl Harbor on November 28, refueling and leaving port a day later. On December 6, she crossed the equator.

The next morning her crew and passengers learned of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The ship sailed to Brisbane Australia, via the Fiji Islands. After debarking the troops, the Republic sailed on to Sydney. Between March and November 1942 the Republic served on the San Francisco-Honolulu run, completing a total of seven voyages. In February 1942, Leonard was promoted to Fireman First Class (F1c), and by September 1942 he was reassigned as a Baker Second Class. On 22 January 1943, he was transferred to the US Naval Hospital at Treasure Island, California.

First Muster Roll, 1941

USS Republic

31 January 1943 Muster

On 6 May 1943, Leonard was assigned to the submarine tender USS Bushnell (AS - 15). On 27 June, she departed for Pearl Harbor, arriving on 3 July. While at the Submarine Base, Submarine Squadron 14 (SubRon 14) was assembled with Bushnell serving as tender and staff headquarters for the Squadron and Division Staff. Bushnell remained at Pearl Harbor until September 1943, when she sailed for Midway Island to deliver provisions and structural materials. Upon returning to Pearl Harbor in December, she resumed her task of refitting submarines until April 1944.

30 May 1943 Muster Roll

USS Bushnell

On 3 December 1944, Leonard was on the commissioning crew of the light cruiser USS Atlanta (CL - 104), as a Watertender First Class (WT1c).

From 22�27 May, the Atlanta served with the Fast Carrier Task Force operating south of Japan near Okinawa while the carriers' aircraft struck targets in the Ryukyu Islands and on Kyūshū to support forces fighting for Okinawa. Her task group broke up on 13 June, and Atlanta entered San Pedro Bay, Leyte, Philippines, on 14 June. Following two weeks of upkeep, she sailed on 1 July with Task Group 38.1 and once again protected the fast carriers launching strikes against targets in the Japanese home islands. During these operations, the cruiser took part in several shore bombardment missions against Honshū and Hokkaidō.

Atlanta was operating off the coast of Honshū when the Japanese surrendered on 15 August 1945. On 16 September, she entered Tokyo Bay and remained there through 29 September. Leonard was honorably discharged from the ship and the US Navy at Tokyo Bay on 19 September 1945.

So Leonard was in his nation's service, one day out of Pearl Harbor when World War II started, and in Japanese waters when the war ended.

Commissioning Muster Roll

USS Atlanta (CL - 104)

1945 Muster Roll

Leonard had his appendix out in Chicago in 1965, and Ray visited him. Later, Len wrote the prosaic but poignant letter below to our mother.

Leonard Coniglio died of a massive heart attack in Chicago in 1973. Blessedly, our mother had passed away a year earlier, sparing her the grief of her son's passing.

Generations:

Genesis

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