Portrait of Leroy "Roy" Spittle
Born August 8, 1927 in Gloucester
Rank: Corporal. Service: US Air Force. Division/Ship: 97th Air Force. Theater: Pacific. Dates of Service: 1944 - 1946.

"I was the most popular guy on the island," Roy Spittle says of his stint on Okinawa starting in late 1945, because of his expertise in refrigeration - a skill he learned starting work as an electrician at age 14 for Park Brothers in Gloucester. Spittle nearly didn't get to serve at all despite trying to enlist at 16 and attempting 8 or 9 times to get past the physical exam. Blindness in one eye kept getting him stamped 4-F. He finally managed to get in on limited service, but was told he'd never leave the state.s When his skills in refrigeration were discovered, however, he was whisked off to Okinawa. He returned home and to being an electrician at 19. In 1950 he married Irene Genereux with whom he had two children during their 36 years of marriage. Three years after Irene's death, Roy married Norma and the two would be together for 22 years. He has two grandchildren and one great-grandchild (at the time). Spittle founded local electricians Roy Spittle Associates in 1962 from which he retired in 1995. He believes strongly in the need to encourage vocational education in high school, having taught at Gloucester High School for 15 years.