Lee Broussard

Yeoman third class (Y3c)

Born on December 6, 1925, in Loreauville, Louisiana, Mr. Broussard first learned of the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 8, 1941, while at school, as telephones and radios were scarce in his hometown. His two older brothers enlisted shortly after the war began, but Broussard had to wait until he turned 18 before he could join. 

In 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and began basic training at Camp Elliott in San Diego, California. He was initially assigned to the USS Midway (CV-41) to train with amphibious landing forces. However, because of his typing and shorthand skills, he was transferred to the Pacific Fleet School in Hawai‘i, where he graduated at the top of his class. He went on to serve as a Yeoman third class (Y3c) and joined Admiral William F. Halsey’s 3rd Fleet Flag Staff. On September 2, 1945, Broussard stood aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay as he witnessed the formal Japanese surrender—a pivotal moment that marked the end of World War II. 

After the war, Mr. Broussard returned home to Louisiana, where he now resides in Lake Providence.