Lee A. Mendenhall

Lee A. Mendenhall, 96, of Middletown, died September 22, 2020 at Ohio Living Mt. Pleasant in Monroe. He was a patient there since May.

He was born in Middletown on August 29, 1924 to parents Earl D. and Mary M. (Hart) Mendenhall.

Lee was a graduate of Middletown High School, Class of 1942. He entered the U.S. Army in 1943. He served as a Glider Infantryman in the 88th Glider Infantry Regiment at Ft. Meade, South Dakota, Camp Mackall and Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, while assigned to 13th Airborne Division. In 1944, Lee was sent to the European Theater of Operations as a Replacement. In early July 1944, Lee arrived in Normandy, France and was assigned to the Ammunition and Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division. What followed was ten months of arduous combat during the Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland and Central Europe Campaigns. Lee’s outfit fought in the siege of Brest, the battle for Hurtegen Forest, the Ruhr Pocket encirclement and in early May 1945; in conjunction with the 82nd Airborne Division, liberated the Neuengamme Concentration Camp, Wobbelin Subcamp near Ludwiglust, Germany. “V-E Day” found Lee and his comrades near Schwerin, Germany, near the Baltic Sea. During WWII, the 8th Infantry Division suffered 13, 986 casualties. In July 1945, Lee returned to Middletown, Ohio.
Lee married Patricia L. (Jones) Mendenhall in 1946. He worked at Armco for 43 years and First Financial Bank for 17 years. He enjoyed tennis, bowling on several leagues, softball for the Armco team and square dancing and round dancing with the Armco Stars.

Lee is survived by his daughter, Patty Mendenhall, three grandchildren, Michael Ronto, Heather Houck-Gomes and Ben Houck, seven great grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his wife and his daughter Lynn Mendenhall.

Funeral services will be Wednesday, September 30, 2020 at 12 noon at Wilson-Schramm-Spaulding Funeral Home, 3805 Roosevelt Blvd., Middletown with Rev. Wynston Dixon officiating. Visitation will be prior to the service from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at the funeral home. Interment will be at Woodside Cemetery with military honors conducted by the Franklin VFW Post 7596.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Veterans Memorial Museum Foundation, 123 Main St., Germantown, Ohio 45327.