How one man saved the Tower of Pisa
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers A MONUMENT IN HIS HANDS- Leon Weckstein shows where German soldiers were thought to be seen in the Leaning Tower of Pisa during his surveillance during World War II. Cannons were turned on the tower, and he watched through a telescope to see if he could determine if there were Germans inside it or not. If he had radioed "fire," the tower would have been destroyed. Weckstein, 87, has lots of medals and other honors and likes to tell his story.

A 23-year-old U.S. infantry sergeant armed with a telescope and a two-way radio controlled the firepower of at least a dozen cannons and possibly a battleship aimed at the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy on a hot August day in 1944.

Thousand Oaks resident Leon Weckstein, 87, recalled what it felt like to be the one responsible for whether or not the 12th century tower would be left standing.

"If I had said, 'Fire,' the tower would have been a pile of gravel," Weckstein said.

Even as a young man, he understood the historical significance and the beauty of what his army buddies called the "Tiltin' Hilton," he said. But that would not have stopped him from ordering its destruction if he had seen the slightest indication that the German military was using the tall building against the 800 men from the 1st Battalion of the 363rd Regimented Infantry who were fighting on the ground nearby, he said.

To get close enough, about three-quarters of a mile away from the tower, he had to walk through an olive grove that had been turned into a minefield. He understood the danger, having previously lost five men under his leadership when a mine exploded and blew them apart, he said.

When he got as close as he could get to the tower without being killed, he lay down on ground that was covered with fleas and watched the tower through his telescope. He tried to ignore the heat and the fleas biting at his skin as he peered through the magnified glass. Any movement he saw- the glimmer of a shiny button or a shadow- would have meant he would have to radio for the tower's destruction.

"Not even a pigeon flew off the top of the tower as I watched it," Weckstein said.

During the 11 months that he served as an observer in 1944-45 he had called in for the destruction of about 70 targets. Some were beautiful churches or other places he wished had not needed to be destroyed. But the Germans used places like that to hide, plot and kill the allied forces. Weckstein's job was to keep the 800 soldiers in his battalion alive, and he was dedicated to doing that.

After hours observing the Tower of Pisa, he realized another, less cautious observer might order the destruction quickly so he could get out of that dangerous, uncomfortable spot. Instead, the young man waited and watched. He saw nothing that suggested the tower was being occupied. Finally, he was noticed by the enemy and came under fire. Shrapnel began to rain down on him. He was ordered to get out of there, which he did, without ever calling for a strike against the famous tower.

He was an hour from base and German artillery followed him for about 20 minutes as he exited, he said.

Because of his willingness to risk his life and get close enough to observe the tower, it was allowed to continue to stand.

The observation job Weckstein had was not an easy one. He had actually replaced a lieutenant who couldn't take the pressure and had run away from the battlefield because of the stress, Weckstein said.

"I was given all of the lieutenant's tasks without the bars. It was hard to be a lieutenant in World War II because they would go first and lead. A lot of them came back without legs because of the minefields," he said.

Weckstein returned safe and sound, defying the odds, he said.

At the end of the war he was awarded the Legion of Merit, the King of Italy's Cross of Valor, the Republic of Poland's Cross of Honor and the U.S. Bronze Star, along with other medals.

He has been featured in World War II documentaries on the Discovery and History channels. He has also written a book about his war experiences, "Through My Eyes," and is working on another.

Weckstein is now retired from the interior design business where he worked in decorating and manufacturing. He was married to his late wife, Mimi, for 30 years. His son Robert died at age 55. His daughter Marilyn Chass lives in Encino. He has four grandchildren- Michael, Kim, Kelly and Geraldine.

He has visited Italy and the Tower of Pisa several times over the years and is always honored by the mayor of the city when he returns, he said. They have given him presents, books, trinkets and medals.

The tower itself stands as a monument to a patient and thoughtful man who endured a minefield, hot sun, fleas and bullets to preserve it.

"It's such a beautiful tower," he said.