HARRY LEE REISENLEITER

In the 1950s, Mr. Reisenleiter was a police officer in Glendale and Brentwood. He was district manager with Steak 'n Shake in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He retired in 1987 as a sales associate for the old National Industrial Security agency.

Mr. Reisenleiter was born and reared in St. Louis. He served in the Army in World War II, receiving a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. He was a 50-year member of the American Legion. He was also active in other veterans' groups and was a member of the American Association of Retired Persons. He was often asked to speak at various area schools on the history of the war.

Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. today at Bopp Chapel, 10610 Manchester Road, Kirkwood, with an American Legion service at 7 p.m. The funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Friday at the funeral chapel. Burial will be at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.
Among the survivors are his wife of 52 years, Maxine Reisenleiter; a son, Harry Reisenleiter II of Naperville, Ill.; a daughter, Missy Reise nleiter of St. Louis; two sisters, Marion Dowell of Glendale and Rosann Kemper of Webster Groves; and a grandson.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association or the American Kidney Foundation.

(St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, MO, 10 Dec 1998, Page C17 - courtesy of Tedd Cocker)

(courtesy Karl Kleen)

Grave marker of Harry Lee Reisenleiter in Section 1D, Site 1080 of the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Saint Louis (St. Louis County), Missouri.

Harry enlisted in the U.S. Army at Jefferson Barracks, MO on October 6, 1942 and volunteered for parachutist duty.

He was assigned to Company B, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment. The 508th had just been activated at Camp Blanding, FL and following basic training the regiment moved to Fort Benning, GA for parachute training and then on to Camp Mackall, NC for advanced field training.

Pfc  Reisenleiter jumped into Normandy on D-Day and was wounded there on 13 June.  Cpl Reisenleiter also fought in the Battle of the Bulge.

Following the war Harry was the police chief for Brentwood, MO for a few years and often spent his personal time going out in his jump suit telling his story to school children.