Biography of Lloyd W. Leibnitz
CCC Man, Company 703, Camp Caribou, Camp F-11, Lutsen, Minnesota
Tec 4, Company E, 217th Coastal Artillery Regiment (AA), MN NG & Company B, 405th Regiment, 102nd Infantry Division, US Army
My dad passed away several years ago. He had a couple of good stories from this camp. Not sure how long he was there. He was from McIntosh MN. He would have been 20 years old in 1934.
I have tried to find more information on where the camp was located. I am almost certain that it was on Caribou Lake. There is a Lutheran retreat called Cathedral of the Pines on SW corner of the lake. This would be my best guess as to where the camp was located.
My dad did not have too many stories, at least not many I remember him telling me but there was one he liked to tell. It does say a little about my dad's character, some of which I inherited. One day his duty was to put up ice. He ran the big hand ice saw. It was late in the day and we was cold, boots caked in ice and hungry. The whistle blew in camp signaling the end of the work day and my dad started for the horse team. The boss for the day was a big old Swede. My dad said he could lift a horse and spoke poor English. He told my dad he was not done yet and to keep on sawing. My dad begrudgingly picked up the saw and started sawing. He then "accidentally" dropped the saw in the lake. He looked back at the swede and asked if we were done now. The Swede looked at him for a long time, not sure what he would do, then finally said Ok, get on the wagon. He never said if he was disciplined or not. He said his job there was mainly cutting pulpwood. He was certainly an expert with an axe and a saw later in life. He remembered it being very cold and hard work but they didn't know any different. It was badly needed money sent back home.
At some point he joined the national guard. He enlisted at Ft Snelling and spent some time there.
He said they used to shoot across the river at a 500 yard target near where the Mendota bridge is located. He then went to San Francisco with his triple AAA battery. I am not sure if he was there when Pearl Harbor was bombed but my guess is he was deployed shortly after. The pictures in his military album are from that period. His main function there was to guard the Golden gate and Oakland Bay bridges with his AAA unit. He also spent time in 29 Palms doing desert training. Because of his rank and technical rating he was one of the last to get shipped off to Camp Swift for combat infantry training and then shipment overseas in the fall of '44. He drove in the Redball Express and then subbed on and off the front line for the 84th and 102nd infantry divisions. He had just rotated back to France when the battle of the Bulge broke out.
In January he was permanently assigned as a replacement in the 102nd Inf Div, with Company B, 405th Regiment. He was wounded in action in Operation Grenade after crossing the Roehr River. He was a Tec 4.
Below are all the pictures I have from his war era time. This includes the CCC pictures. There is a CCC photo in there of him and a gun. My dad was an avid hunter and fisherman. It is possible the gun was used for hunting wild game. I also included one of my favorite pictures of him from after the war. During his time in the National Guard his best friend was also an avid hunter from Mountain Lake, MN. When they parted ways he said if they both made it through the war to look him up and they would go hunt pheasants together. They had a lot of them on his farm. He did just that after the war and made an annual trip there to hunt. My dad is in on the left in that picture and his friend is in the middle.
Curator's Note. Based on the bumper markings of the trucks in the photographs, it appears that Mr. Leibnitz originally served in Company E of the 217th Coastal Artillery Regiment (Anti-Aircraft) based on the 217CA E # markings. This is consistent with his being from Minnesota and with the plethora of Anti Aircraft guns in the photographs as well. The 217th Coast Artillery Regiment (Anti-Aircraft) Minnesota National Guard was formed in 1940 as 217th CA (AA) Regt and organized from 2nd and 3rd Bns, 206th Inf Regt MN NG. It entered federal service on in 1941 at St. Cloud, MN and moved to Cp Haan, California on February 24th of that year. It moved to Oakland and Berkley California in December and was deactivated in 1943, its components then being deployed overseas to various locations. Camp Haan was (across the highway from March Field), in part, was an Anti-Aircraft Artillery training facility. The 217th was under the 101st Coastal Artillery Brigade (MN NG) at least in 1941. I am unsure what the "4AA" or perhaps "9AA" designates on the bumper. It should be a higher command. I can only guess that its an Anti Aircraft formation or perhaps 9th Army Area for the 9th Army Corps Area of which California was a part (4th Corps Area was South East Coast so thats not it).
Any information about his company, camp or service would be appreciated.
Men with Camp Sign, Mr. Leibnitz is second from left.
Group Photo. I believe the group photo has to be the leadership team. I do not see my dad in there.
Mr. Leibnitz, with what appears to be a rifle.
Men by Camp Building. Mr. Leibnitz is front left.
Camp F-11, Minnesota (Curators note, another contributor said F-11 was Camp Caribou in Lutsen, in 1934, not sure if Co 703 Camp F-11 was same location for Mr. Leibnitz
Another CCC photo of him and a gun. My dad was an avid hunter and fisherman. It is possible the gun was used for hunting wild game.
Lloyd Leibnitz
A picture from the CCC era of Mr. Leibnitz
Grandma Leibnitz
Two soldiers with a water cooled pedestal mounted .50 caliber anti-aircraft machine gun (either an M-121 or water cooled M2 Browning).
Guard duty, with an M1 Garand.
Taking a break, with a mix of uniforms by what may be a shed or garage.
Working on the underbody of a Dodge 1 1/2 ton truck.
Mr. :Leibnitz in coveralls holding a dog in front of E company's vehicle number 6, which appears to be a deuce and a half with a winch.
Soldier leaning on Vehicle six in front of civilian parking area
Relaxing on the barrack steps.
Desert Baseball with puttees and webbing and a tent pole or something as a bat, noting the cigar clenched in the sun glassed batter's teeth and the wide grin on the catcher, this may be posed for humor.
A Show. The Banner over the stage says, "Hollywood Division Motion Picture Committee For National Defense". There is a Big Band in a custom set up akin to what we would see on the Lawrence Welk Show many years later. The bandleader or singer seems to be at a microphone to the front. The audience are all in uniform, so this was a show for the men, presumably in California given the Hollywood name.
Man posing with .another water cooled 50 caliber anti aircraft gun in the field
Two soldiers with M1917 Helmets and M1903 Springfield Rifles.
Soldier holding 4 round ammunition clip in front of M1 40 mm bofors anti aircraft gun.
Men in and next to Vehicle 5, a deuce and a half without a winch. Note the man on the ground is posed as if filming the photographer with a home movie camera.
Men in the back of Deuce and a half, one with Garand rifle. Can't make out his patch.
Man on twin air cooled .50 caliber anti-aircraft mount
Soldiers kneeling beside deuce and a half with presumably new M1A1 Thompson Submachine guns
Four men posing with various uniforms
Side view of deuce and a half with driver
Man leaning on barrel of 49 mm Bofors
Lloyd Leibnitz smiling in front of wooden walled tents.
Lloyd Leibnitz and Ethel
Nurse
Nurses
Baxter Army Hospital Buddies
Baxter Army Hospital Nurse and Lloyd Leibnitz
Lloyd Leibnitz, his sister on the left and an Aunt while he was in California.
My dad was an avid hunter and fisherman. It is possible the gun was used for hunting wild game. I also included one of my favorite pictures of him from after the war. During his time in the National Guard his best friend was also an avid hunter from Mountain Lake, MN. When they parted ways he said if they both made it through the war to look him up and they would go hunt pheasants together. They had a lot of them on his farm. He did just that after the war and made an annual trip there to hunt. My dad is in on the left in that picture and his friend is in the middle.
----- Bill Leibnitz
Email: bill AT hobbydog.net
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My Dad's War Story Mr. Leibnitz's letters describing some details of his service and more information about him and the 102nd Infantry are located at his son's website here.
Company 703 Group Photo, Small Combined Version, Large Combined Version, Large Left Side, Large Right Side, Charles A. Ferry, CCCMan, Company 703, Camp Caribou, Camp F-11, Lutsen, Minnesota
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