CRANSTON, RI – In recognition of his exemplary behavior, efficiency, and fidelity in active military service, World War II veteran Elmer Howard Lenzen, Jr. was posthumously awarded several medals he earned but never received for his service.  During a special ceremony in the office of U.S. Senator Jack Reed, the Senator presented the awards to Mr. Lenzen’s daughter, Mary Ann (Lenzen) Ballard.

Among the medals posthumously awarded to Mr. Lenzen were the Good Conduct Medal; the American Campaign Medal; the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 3 Bronze Service Stars; the World War II Victory Medal; and an Honorable Service Lapel Button WWII.

Mr. Lenzen was born in Providence in 1919 and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 at the age of 23, serving until 1945.  After enlisting he served in the army’s Chemical Maintenance Company, helping with the maintenance of weaponry and other tasks.  He participated in the D-Day invasion of Nazi-controlled France by Allied forces, where he was ultimately wounded by shrapnel and sent to England to recover from his wounds.

When he returned home from the war, Mr. Lenzen worked as a mechanic in Providence.  He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and enjoyed repairing televisions and short-wave radios.

Mr. Lenzen was married to Fortunata “Fannie” Mazzone, for 23 years before he was stricken with lung cancer and passed away in 1965.  They had two children: John H. Lenzen, who passed away in 2015, and Mary Ann (Lenzen) Ballard, who resides in North Kingstown.

“Elmer Lenzen is a hometown hero who answered the call to serve and did his part to defend our nation.  Elmer and his fellow members of the Greatest Generation fought to preserve liberty around the world.  It is our duty to remember and pay tribute to the tremendous sacrifices that he and his fellow soldiers made on our behalf.  I am honored to recognize his contributions and present these medals to his family members as a token of our enduring gratitude for Mr. Lenzen’s service,” said Senator Reed, a former Army Ranger and the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. 

A skilled artist, Mr. Lenzen would sketch drawings of cartoon characters on the envelopes of letters he sent back home during the war to family and friends. 

According to data from the Department of Veterans Affairs, of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, only 620,000 were alive in 2016, including over 2,600 Rhode Islanders.