New exhibit at Sullivan Brothers museum honors Iowa couple's call to duty
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WATERLOO — The Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum has unveiled a new exhibit honoring a husband and wife duo for their service during World War II.
The rare and complete U.S. Navy uniforms, gear and medals of the late Lavern and Estelle Busch Leinen are on display at the museum, a tribute to the couple's legacy of valor, sacrifice and dedication to country.
Among the items displayed: Estelle's U.S. Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) suitcase, her burial flag, scarf and her fully restored uniform jacket with matching garrison cap. The U.S. Navy cooking pans, military medals and dress blues of her husband, Lavern, can also be viewed.
Both Leinens were longtime members of the Dow City American Legion Post #444. The pair met in 1945 while stationed at Naval Station Great Lakes near Chicago. Estelle was recruited into the U.S. Navy WAVES by Genevieve Sullivan, sister of the five Sullivan brothers, who were killed when the USS Juneau was torpedoed and sunk on Nov. 13, 1942. The brothers' story inspired the movies "Saving Private Ryan" and "The Fighting Sullivans."
The U.S. Navy WAVES were in existence for only a brief period, established in July 1942 and disbanded by September 1946. There were an estimated 87,000 WAVES, or about half of 1% of the estimated 16,112,566 Americans who served in the U.S. armed forces in World War II. Yet they are credited with greatly impacting the positive outcome of the war, plus directly and indirectly affected the intergradation leading to the permanent existence of women in all U.S. military branches.
Lavern Leinen's Naval Unit Taffy 3 participated in many historic Pacific theater campaigns and was awarded five battle stars and the prestigious presidential citation for its heroic action during the 1944 Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines. It was the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, the largest naval battle in history, with over 200,000 naval personnel involved. This was credited as the first battle in which Japanese aircraft carried out organized kamikaze attacks, and the last naval battle between battleships in history.
"My parents personified the Greatest Generation," said Vincent Leinen, one of the couple's six children. "They shared a love of country and a commitment to service and sacrifice for the good of our nation. They left an important legacy for our family and future generations. We hope this exhibit will be an enduring reminder of the intrinsic courage and selfless devotion of so many veterans who have shaped the American experience."
After their Navy career and marriage, they teamed up to oversee a large family, farm and Leinen’s Produce in Dow City, which bought and sold agriculture products such as eggs, cream, feed and chickens from farmers in a four-county area.
Lavern Leinen was also employed for many years by Farmland Foods Industries in Denison and a member of many church and civic organizations, including the volunteer fire department. He died in 1981 at the age of 81.
Estelle Leinen was a 75-year resident of Dow City and was active in church and the community. She died earlier this year at the age of 100.
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The Leinen military exhibit is on temporary display at the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum and can be viewed Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: New Sullivan Brothers veterans museum exhibit honors Iowa couple
