Art Kleeman (he changed his last name from Kleemann at the beginning of World War II) was born on July 13, 1916, in North Lake, Wisconsin. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, on March 12, 1942, and completed basic training at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, in May 1942. He was assigned as an aircraft mechanic with the 303rd Bomb Squadron of the 84th Bomb Group at Hunter Field, Georgia, and then at Waycross Army Airfield, Georgia, from May 1942 until he deployed to North Africa in April 1943. Sgt Kleeman next served as a Flight Chief with the 319th Bomb Group at Oran, Algeria, from May 1943 to November 1944, and during this time he spent 3 months working with the French Air Force. He then deployed with his unit to Italy in November 1944, and served as a Flight Chief until the war ended in May 1945. Tech Sgt Kleeman remained in Italy on Occupation Duty with the 64th Fighter Squadron of the 57th Fighter Group until returning to the United States in August 1945, and he was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army Air Forces at the Separation Center at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, on August 28, 1945. After leaving active duty he worked as an electrician with Jacobs Electric in Madison, Wisconsin, until his retirement in 1981. Art Kleeman died on August 5, 1992, and was buried at Roselawn Memorial Park in Monona, Wisconsin.