MOODY RADIO REUNITES WWII VET WITH RESCUER
Last week, Moody Radio reunited WWII
veteran Steve Rogers with his war-time
rescuer from Hilo, Hawaii.
Steve Rogers was a member of the 819th
Tank Destroyer Battalion, US Army,
stationed in Hilo during World War II.
For a time, he was posted at Honolii
River, north of Hilo town.
During a swim across the river, Steve
experienced the cramps and nearly drowned.
A little girl, Patsy Leite of Honolii,
jumped in with an inflated inner tube and
rescued him. That was in August 1944, a
month before Patsy's 11th birthday. Patsy
was later given a commendation by the U.S.
Army for her bravery and heroism.
55 years later, Steve Rogers' daughter,
Wanda Harless of Big Stone Gap, VA began a
search for news articles that would document
her father's near-drowning experience. She
contacted Moody Radio of Hilo last month via
e-mail to request assistance.
A Moody Radio volunteer searched old issues
of the Hilo Tribune-Herald to find the news
story. It was found in the Aug. 5, 1944
issue and identified the little girl as
11-year-old Patsy Leite of Honolii.
With name in hand, our volunteer went through
the telephone book and located Mr. Wendell
Leite, who provided a telephone number for his
sister, Mrs. Patsy (Leite) Cardus of Honolulu.
Mrs. Cardus' contact information was forwarded
to Mrs. Harless, who wrote back to us:
"I don't know how to express my thanks to
you for all the time and effort you have
put into finding the articles concerning
the near drowning of my father. I
contacted Patsy Cardus by telephone only
a few minutes ago. My father was here and
spoke with her. It was a very exciting
time... It has brought back many fond
memories for my dad. Again, THANK YOU!!!"
You're welcome, Mrs. Harless! Our volunteers
were pleased to uncover this wonderful story
and have a part in reuniting your father with
his rescuer. We hope your father will revisit
Hawaii, and perhaps meet Mrs. Cardus in
person!
We have an update on this story.
Army Commends 11-Year Old Girl For Rescuing Soldier
Patsy Leite, 11, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Leite of
Honolii, was commended by the Army today for her rescue
of a drowning soldier from Honolii stream recently.
"My whole command is very proud of you," Col Hollis Muller,
Big Island military commander, said in a letter to the
girl who saved the life of Pvt. Steve S. Rogers.
Patsy, a six grade student, heard the soldier's cry for
help, grasped an inflated rubber tube conveniently nearby
and swam with it to the man who was struggling in mid-
stream in water estimated at 15 feet deep.
"Bravery and intelligence is one of the highest and
rarest of human qualities," Muller's letter said. "You
realized that you could not swim and carry a man several
times you size, but you unhesitatingly plunged into the
treacherous stream and swam to the soldier with an in-
flated rubber tube which he could grasp and with which
he meanaged to reach safety.
"There aren't many 11-year old girls, Patsy, with so much
courage as you displayed on that occasion," the letter
continued, "and had it not been for your equal resourceful-
ness it is almost certain that the soldier would have
lost his life."
Article from HILO TRIBUNE HERALD,
Saturday, August 12, 1944
Watch for additional updates
