Editing Lee Van Cleef (section)

== Military service ==
After completing his military training, Van Cleef was assigned to a [[submarine chaser]] and then to a minesweeper called the {{USS|Incredible|AM-249|6}}, on which he worked as a [[Sonar technician|sonarman]].

The ship initially patrolled the [[Caribbean Sea|Caribbean]], then moved to the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]], participating in the [[Operation Dragoon|landings in southern France]]. In January 1945, ''Incredible'' moved to the [[Black Sea]], and performed sweeping duties out of the [[Soviet Navy]] base at [[Sevastopol]], [[Crimea]]. Afterwards, the ship performed air-sea rescue patrols in the Black Sea before returning to [[Palermo]], Sicily. 

By the time of his discharge in March 1946, he had achieved the rank of sonarman first class (SO1) and had earned his mine sweeper patch. He also had been awarded the [[Bronze Star Medal|Bronze Star]] and the [[Good Conduct Medal (United States)|Good Conduct Medal]]. By virtue of his deployments, Van Cleef also qualified for the [[European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal|European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal]], [[Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal|Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal]], the [[American Campaign Medal]], and the [[World War II Victory Medal (United States)|World War II Victory Medal]].<ref>{{cite book | first=Mike | last=Malloy | author-link= Mike Malloy | title=Lee Van Cleef: A Biographical, Film and Television Reference | publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc | year = 1998 | page=5 | isbn= 0-7864-0437-X}}</ref> He was discharged from the navy in 1946.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://navy.togetherweserved.com/usn/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=580401 |title=PO1 Clarence Leroy Van Cleef, Jr. |work=TogetherWeServed |year=2015 |access-date=May 25, 2015}}</ref>

{|
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|[[File:Bronze Star ribbon.svg|80px|border]] [[Bronze Star]]
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|[[File:United States Navy Good Conduct Medal ribbon.svg|border|80px]] [[Good Conduct Medal (United States)|Good Conduct Medal]]
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|[[File:European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign ribbon.svg|80px]] [[European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal]]
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|[[File:Asiatic-Pacific Campaign ribbon.svg|80px|Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal ribbon]] [[Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal]]
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|[[Image:American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|80px|border|alt=American Campaign Medal ribbon]] [[American Campaign Medal]]
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|[[Image:World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|80px|Ribbon for World War II Victory Medal]] [[World War II Victory Medal]]
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