The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Veteran recalls life before, after WWII
America’s “Greatest Generation” is the term used to describe the men and women who served the nation during World War II.
This generation is rapidly disappearing as hundreds of WWII veterans are dying daily and along with them the stories and details from the war, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Lake County Veterans Affairs estimates that about 500 WWII vets die daily nationwide.
Fewer than 500,000 of the 16.5 million who served during the years of 1941-1945 remain.
Len Jagoda, 96, of Painesville, is one of Northeast Ohio’s surviving World War II veterans.
Jagoda recalls the decision he made in 1942 at the age of 22 to enlist in the United States Navy during the war.
“When the call came on the radio that we were at war with Japan, many of us just made the decision to enlist,” he said. “I spent three years, three months, three days of my youth in the service.”
Prior to his enlistment, he worked as a machinist at Warner & Swasey Co., a manufacturer based in Cleveland.
During the time he was trying to enlist, he would travel by train multiple times to Columbus in an attempt to obtain a pilot’s license, which he never got.
“We were working 12 hours a day and having to take the train to Columbus, I never got a chance to get my blood pressure down,” he said. “I had a plus seven and you had to have a plus 8 to get a pilot’s license.”
He said that when he enlisted, he was offered a position as chief machinist. But he informed the enlisting officer that he felt aviation was a growing thing and wanted to stick with that.
Jagoda recalls spending most of his service time in the Pacific arena as an aircraft mechanic repairing war planes. He spent very little time in the air.
He started out as a second class seaman and ended up as first class mate/first class petty officer.
Jagoda said that he doesn’t feel like it was anything special.
“I was just one of the regular guys. We did our job, we went to sleep in our barracks, got up for breakfast and spent the day doing what they would tell us to do,” he said.
Once the war ended, he came back to the United States, where he was placed in charge of the log office until his discharge.
While in the service, he married.
According to Jagoda, his marriage prevented from going on to Officers Training School.
“I applied for it after enlisting. It was after I got married I got the offer and couldn’t accept it because I was married,” he said.
Jagoda remained married up until his wife passed away in 2008. They were married for 65 years.
They had three children, one of whom has passed away.
After he was discharged, he returned Warner & Swasey until they went on strike.
“That was it — I bounced from one job to another,” he said.
He retired in the early 1990s. Jagoda said now he just goes from day to day.
He is active with the senior centers in Painesville and Mentor where he enjoys playing pinochle.
He also enjoys fly-fishing and teaching kids the art of it.
The Painesville Senior Center newsletter mentions that Jagoda also worked for the city of Cleveland in the creation of Housing and Urban Development housing, farmed and served on the University Hospitals Board, and volunteers his time to military service organizations.
When Jagoda was asked to share stories from his time of service he declined, stating he would rather not because none of them ended right.
“I saw the devastation,” he said. ‘It hurt me because some of the boys never got out. I hate war, I don’t think it’s necessary.”
The newsletter from The Painesville Senior Center where Jagoda is a member of mentions that he has impacted far more lives than he is credited for in a story.