World War II Honoree

Leonard P. Cason, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Birmingham, Alabama

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Private First Class. Inducted into the United States Marine Corps November 16, 1942 at Birmingham, Alabama, with recruit training assigned to the Eighth Recruit Battalion Training Regiment; Marine Corps Base San Diego, California. Upon his graduation from Boot Camp, he was transferred to Camp Pendleton Oceanside, California for combat training. Following basic and advanced infantry training, he served as a Rifleman with Alpha Company, First Battalion, Seventh Marine Regiment an element of the First Marine ‘the Old Breed’ Division. His division participated in the amphibious assault on the Island of Peleliu (Battle Dates: September 15-November 27, 1944) Code Name: Operation Stalemate II. Location: Western Pacific Theater of Operations. October 16, 1944 he was mortally wounded during combat operations against the Imperial army forces, with burial in the U.S. armed forces battlefield cemetery on Peleliu, Caroline Islands. Succeeding hostilities with Japan, his family requested that he be buried with Military Honors at Manila American Cemetery Location: Fort Bonifacio, Manila, Philippine Islands. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.