PFC LEONARD F. MASON
22 February 1920 - 23 July 1944
Leonard Foster Mason was born in Middlesboro, Kentucky on
February 22, 1920, the fourth of 13 children and the first son of
Hillary and Mollie Rachel (Partin) Mason. He enlisted in the United
States Marine Corps in April 1942 at Cleveland, Ohio and was
promoted to Private First Class in March 1943. He was stationed
at Marine barracks for training at Paris Island, South Carolina,
then at the Naval Proving Ground, Indian Head, Maryland and finally
at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Odered into the field in October 1943, he was sent to the Pacfic and served as as Automatic Rifleman.
He was wounded in an attack on Japanese forces on Guam on July 22, 1944, and died aboard the APA-42, USS Elmore, an amphibious assault transport the following day, He was
awarded the Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart.
Granite Block has been placed at the Veterans Freedom Flag in Lima, Ohio honoring our Ship and crew