Leroy Fadem was born in February 1921 in New York, New York. His father worked on Wall Street and his mother was a home maker. Fadem was educated in Brooklyn before attending college at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He was always interested in aviation, an interest his parents supported until he wanted to entertain it in a military fashion. After the attack on Pearl Harbor Fadem signed up for the draft and then entered the Navy rather than the Air Force, as his parents had requested.

Leroy Fadem entered the Navy's training for sea duty in July 1942. He entered Midshipman School at Colombia [Annotator's Note: Columbia University in New York, New York]. It was physically and mentally trying. He learned Navy jargon quickly. He graduated and was commissioned an ensign in the United States Navy Reserve in October 1942. His training was four months instead of being a "90 day wonder." His parents were pleased with the course he had chosen in the Navy. Fadem would spend the entire war on two ships in the Pacific Ocean and only suffer loss of hearing resulting from the invasion of Guam. Fadem heard about the Pearl Harbor attack while listening to a Giants football game on a Sunday afternoon. He immediately contacted the Navy about their need for college graduates. He did not want to risk being drafted. He never felt affected personally by the aggression that had been ongoing prior to Pearl Harbor. Fadem continued his stateside Navy training after his commissioning in Newport, Rhode Island for officer torpedo school. After three months, Fadem was assigned to the USS Stevens (DD-479) in Charleston, South Carolina as the torpedo officer, assistant gunnery officer and catapult officer. The ship had not yet been commissioned. That occurred on 1 February 1943. Fadem was a "Plank Owner" or original crewman aboard the Stevens. Fadem thought his civilian background did not particularly suit his Navy assignment at all. He took his new life very seriously. He foresaw his Fletcher class ship headed to the Pacific because it was designed for that service.

Leroy Fadem experienced his only occasion of seasickness on the shakedown cruise to Guantanamo aboard the USS Stevens (DD-479). Most of the crew was sick. The ship was unique with its catapult and float plane which was to be used for observation. All the related testing was satisfactory. On the Marcus Island raid, the Stevens was the only ship with a floatplane and that made Fadem the only catapult officer. Later, as the Stevens became an escort in carrier fleets, the reconnaissance plane was not needed. The catapult was removed and equipment changes were made. Fadem had been trained to operate the catapult in Philadelphia. It was a risky operation when the destroyer was moving extensively at sea. Timing of the launch was important. The Stevens had 48 successful launches of its floatplane with no failures. The catapult equipment removed provided the Stevens with the capability to assume more armament including five inch guns and antiaircraft weaponry. Fadem was the only destroyer catapult officer in the United States Navy prior to removal of the equipment. Because Fadem had to personally experience a simulated catapult launch, he was given the moniker "Fearless Fadem." The retrieval of the floatplane to its catapult after its mission was very difficult and might have contributed to the decision to discontinue use of the catapult on the destroyer. The concept of operation may have been conceived prior to the advent of radar as a means to locate enemy ships.

Leroy Fadem experienced long voyages between sightings of land while he served in the Pacific [Annotator's Note: Fadem was an officer aboard the USS Stevens (DD-479)]. Days were interspersed with four hour watches. There were no days off or holidays. Dates were lost over time as a person became detached from normal life. Shipboard testing and practice runs filled some of the time. The crew kept busy. Pearl Harbor was the initial destination prior to sailing to Marcus Island. It was a raid on the island with American carriers showing the Japanese that the United States was coming back. The Jimmy Doolittle raid on Tokyo in April 1942 was a similar effort. After the Marcus Island raid, the Stevens returned to the United States. The Stevens performed escort duty for the carriers during the Marcus raid. It provided air cover and protection from submarine attack for the carriers. Consequently, it did not participate in any island bombardment. It was an easy introduction to combat. Seeing all the ships and their efforts made Fadem deeply proud to be part of the action and the Navy. Following the raid, the Stevens returned to the United States and Fadem went to Pearl Harbor for advanced torpedo and gunnery training. He learned new techniques during those sessions. After completion, he rejoined the ship in Seattle following an uncomfortable flight over the ocean. The ship was completed in Seattle and rejoined the fleet at Pearl Harbor. The Stevens had a number of different missions including escorting troopships. Mail arrived about once a month. The crew was detached from world events other than what was happening in the Pacific. Fadem saved the Stevens when he was the sole officer on the bridge. His ship was escorting a troopship. His quick evasive action prevented a torpedo from hitting his destroyer. He was in command of the ship at the time. The Stevens could not pursue the submarine because it was escorting a troopship by itself. That was a memorable event. Another close call involved enemy strafing of the ship. There were casualties during that incident but no deaths. Fadem and his crew on the USS Stevens (DD-479) were continually training and practicing while underway. They kept busy whether they were part of a task force or operating alone.

Leroy Fadem and the USS Stevens (DD-479) were part of the invasion force attacking Guam [Annotator's Note: in July 1944]. The delays in completion of the Saipan invasion resulted in Guam being pushed back from the originally planned launch date. The Stevens participated in the coastal bombardment of Guam in preparation for the assault. The firing was continuous for five days. The destroyer provided directed fire support for the Marines. That resulted in Fadem becoming deaf. He has profound hearing loss in one ear and significant loss in the other. That was the only adverse thing that happened to Fadem in his naval career. The events of the invasion were exciting especially because he was part of all that was happening. The ship stood offshore about a half mile. Fadem had a funny feeling when he returned to Guam. The change in environment was dramatic compared to 1944. The islanders were happy to have been liberated from the Japanese. Fadem received a medal from a National Park museum representative on Guam. It was emotional for him. It was a good feeling to be considered a liberator and experience the gratitude of the civilian population. They even wrote a letter to Admiral Nimitz [Annotator's Note: Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet Chester W. Nimitz] and the president of the United States indicating their thankfulness. The Marine Commandant wrote a letter of commendation to the Stevens for its marksmanship in aiding the Marines during the combat at Guam. In returning to Guam with his son, Fadem observed the battlefield sites. Because of the lush beauty of the island, it was hard to visualize what had happened there. Today, Japanese enjoy vacation trips to Guam because of its proximity to their homes. The Stevens' crew was happy following the five day bombardment of Guam. There was quite a bit of clean up to do. The ship next went down to New Guinea under MacArthur's [Annotator's Note: US Army General Douglas MacArthur] command to protect Australia. Several landings were made in New Guinea and at Morotai. Japanese bombers flew close to the Stevens on their bomb runs. One plane was shot down. Fadem looked at the Japanese as a brutal enemy and thought negatively toward them. The enemy was harsh to prisoners they captured.

Leroy Fadem was detached from his ship [Annotator's Note: USS Stevens (DD-479)] in October 1944. He flew back to the United States. Although he had volunteered for submarines, with the ongoing priority on amphibious invasions, he was assigned to a new LST [Annotator's Note: landing ship, tank] under construction in Jeffersonville, Indiana. He was assigned as the executive officer and navigator. As executive officer, he was second in command of the ship. The ship was commissioned in New Orleans and joined the fleet at Pearl Harbor. It was a change in lifestyle for him going from a destroyer to an LST which was also known as a "large, slow target." Fadem had two years in the Navy and was considered an "old salt." He became commanding officer after his predecessor was detached. The LST was a flat bottom ship with a bow that opened for beach landings. It had a large tank deck which could be loaded with various types of vehicles. Small boats could be taken on the deck. The ultimate objective was the invasion of Japan itself. Fadem's ship was to be a hospital ship during that operation. It never happened although it was in the planning stages. The island hopping campaigns brought America closer to the point of Japanese invasion. It was anticipated that huge casualties from the invasion would warrant more vessels for treatment of the American wounded coming back from the combat on the Japanese home islands. The LST also carried roadways to be installed in captured areas. Fadem was sent to Camp Bradford in Virginia for amphibious training. Before he started, he was sent to USS LST-871 which was to be his new ship. Fadem just had to know how to beach his ship to land the supplies and vehicles on the beach. The ship sailed to Pearl Harbor. It carried troops and equipment to different locations while in the Pacific.

After the war, Leroy Fadem's ship [Annotator's Note: USS LST-871] was in the first task group to enter Nagasaki harbor. It was six weeks after the atomic bomb destroyed the city. Bodies were still floating in the harbor. Devastation was apparent everywhere. The crew was not allowed to visit the city. Troops for occupation were delivered. The ship left after a week. It encountered a typhoon. It was difficult in an LST [Annotator's Note: landing ship, tank] because of its design. Three destroyers were lost in the storm with no survivors. After reaching Manila Bay, Fadem took over command of the ship. Fadem had no concept of what an atomic bomb was other than it was devastating and would save lives by circumventing the invasion of Japan. He was happy to avoid that circumstance. The bombs did what they were intended to do. From Manila Bay, the LST shuttled men and supplies from one Jima island to another. Fadem accepted the surrender of a Japanese garrison of 900 men on the island of Hahajima. The enemy officer's sword accepted by Fadem is on display at the World War II Museum in Fredericksburg, Texas [Annotator's Note: The National Museum of the Pacific War]. The LST continued on rehabilitating missions to different locations. Fadem received orders to go home, but he had to find a way to return. He boarded a destroyer escort and made it to the West Coast. He told his parents he was on his way in. They met him at the airport. It was his father's birthday. The memory of the reunion brings tears to Fadem's eyes. The Navy offered him a promotion to stay in the service, but Fadem had enough. He went back to his accounting firm and was offered the same job and salary that he had four years prior. He refused that and took a different direction. He had no need for the G.I. Bill since he was already a college graduate. He became an Internal Revenue Agent for a few years and then got his CPA degree. Afterward, he went to work for his father-in-law's company as the Chief Financial Officer. After the company's closing, Fadem partnered with his brother in manufacturing toy dolls. Fadem adjusted to civilian life without significant issues. It was a distinct lifestyle change, but he adjusted to it easily.

Leroy Fadem's most memorable occurrences during the war were the invasion of Guam and the avoidance of the torpedo. [Annotator's Note: Fadem was on the bridge commanding the USS Stevens (DD-479) when a torpedo was fired upon the ship. His quick maneuvering resulted in the ship's survival.] Being the only destroyer catapult officer was also something interesting, particularly since he had 48 successful launches of the only floatplane mounted on a destroyer. He was glad he served and never had second thoughts about it. World War 2 changed his life completely from being a junior accountant prior to the conflict. After the war, Fadem would become a business owner and be comfortable in that position. He joined the Navy very shortly after his 21st birthday. The war was, and is, a major part of his life. He expects to be buried in his uniform. Fadem has spoken to school groups about his wartime experiences. He lived the experiences, but, to the young people, it was more like a history lesson. Institutions like The National WWII Museum are great to teach about the war. The travel opportunities offered by the Museum are very good. Fadem has taken advantage of some of the tours offered. World War 2 was really two completely different wars. The conflicts were fought for different reasons. One was fought in Europe and the other in the Pacific.