Mr. Leonard would have considered it a great honor that his last day here would be Veterans' Day. He flew 30 missions, including bombing runs over Germany and air support for the D-Day landings. He was a top turret gunner on the B-17 and the B-24. I asked him once on how many of his missions was his plane hit by bullets or flak, and he said, "All of them." He bailed out of one over England, and another crash landed. He always joked that he still owes the government for two airplanes.
A few years ago I took him out to see a B-17 and a B-24 that came to town. His eyes glistened the whole time.
A few years ago I took him out to see a B-17 and a B-24 that came to town. His eyes glistened the whole time.