World War II Honoree

Leonard Almeda

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Boston, Massachusetts

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: PRIVATE. HE WAS A UNITED STATES MARINE, WHO EXPERIENCED COMBAT IN THE PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS. SERVED AS A RIFLEMAN WITH THE FIFTH MARINE ‘THE SPEARHEAD/FIGHTING FIFTH DIVISION PARTICIPATED IN THE BATTLE OF IWO JIMA (INVASIONS DATES: FEBRUARY 19 THROUGH MARCH 26, 1945), CODE NAME: OPERATION DETACHMENT. ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1945 HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION AND WAS BURIED IN THE UNITED STATES FOURTH MARINE DIVISION BATTLEFIELD CEMETERY ON IWO. AFTER THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES WITH JAPAN, HIS REMAINS WERE TRANSFERRED TO HONOLULU, WITH INTERMENT IN THE NATIONAL MEMORIAL CEMETERY OF THE PACIFIC, ‘PUNCHBOWL’ HAWAII. DECORATION AND CITATION: PURPLE HEART, COMBAT ACTION RIBBON, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH ONE BRONZE STAR AND THE WWII VICTORY MEDAL. THIS MARINE, AN AMERICAN PATRIOT, WAS AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART, WHO GALLANTLY GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY.