Winsted-Lester Prairie Journal, August 10, 1998

A tribute to Ralph Littin By MAGGIE SCHUETTE-VOSS It took the intervention of Senator Rod Grams, but shortly before Ralph Littfin died he found out he would finally get his medals. Littfin died on May 16, 1998, only a few days after he received a letter stating that his Purple Heart and Asiatic Theatre Pacific Ribbon with two Bronze Stars were on their way. According to Littfin's daughter, Sharon Ardolf, the medals still have not arrived. Littfin, Automatic Rifleman 746, was in the U.S. Army, K Company, 21st Infantry, 24th Division, and fought in one of the best known battles of World War II, the Battle of Leyte Island. Leyte is an island in the Philippines and was occupied by the Japanese. On Oct. 20, 1944 the Allies launched an attack to retake the island. This was the first battle in which the Japanese used kamikaze pilots. Those attacks began on Oct. 25, 1944. Littfin was at Tanahmerah Bay and was wounded in the right arm. Shrapnel was lodged in his muscle and remained there for the rest of his life. George Scheidt, McLeod County Veterans Service Officer, said that the ship carrying Littfin's medical records was lost at sea during the war, leaving no record of Littfin's injury. Scheidt said he worked for a year to get Littfin his medals, without results. He then enlisted Grams' help. "The day I called to tell him he was getting his medals, he was like a kid with a new toy," Scheidt recalled. Scheidt said Littfin left a brief history of where he was during World War II: Feb. 9, 1942 - inducted into the army. June 7, 1942 - left the states for Hawaii. June 15, 1942 - arrived in Hawaii. June 27, 1943 - left Hawaii for Australia. Aug. 10, 1943 - arrived in Australia. Jan. 10, 1944 - left for Goodenogh. April 14, 1944 - left Goodenogh. April 22, 1944 - invasion of Hollandia. Oct. 13, 1944 - left Hollandia. Oct. 20, 1944 - invasion of Leyte. Nov. 24, 1944 - on hospital ship 464. Nov. 27, 1944 - went on hospital ship "Mercy." Dec. 1, 1944 - landed at Hollandia. Dec. 31, 1944 - left Hollandia for the states. Jan. 19, 1945 - arrived in San Francisco. Private First Class Ralph Littfin was discharged on April 26, 1945 due to the disability caused by the shrapnel in his arm. Ralph Littfin obituary

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