Buried at Cold Springs Cemetery Battles/wars World War II Rank Staff sergeant | Name William Leonard Awards Medal of Honor Battles and wars World War II | |
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Born August 9, 1913
Lockport, New York ( 1913-08-09 ) Allegiance United States of America Died August 4, 1985, Lockport, New York, United States Place of burial Cold Springs Cemetery, Lockport, New York, United States | ||
Service/branch United States Army | ||
William F. Leonard (August 9, 1913 – August 4, 1985) was U.S. Army veteran of World War II and a recipient of the Medal of Honor.
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Medal of Honor action
According to Leonard's U.S. Army's biography, then-Pfc. William F. Leonard received the Medal of Honor to recognize his valorous actions while serving as a squad leader with Company C, 30th Infantry, on November 7, 1944, near St. Die, France. Leonard's platoon was reduced to eight men by blistering artillery, mortar, machine-gun, and rifle power. Leonard led the survivors in an assault over a tree-and-shrub-covered hill, continuously swept by automatic fire. Killing two snipers at ranges of 50 and 75 yards, he disregarded bullets that pierced his back to engage and destroy a machine-gun with rifle grenades, killing its two-man crew. Despite being stunned by an exploding bazooka shell, he continued his relentless advance to knock out a second a machine-gun and capture the roadblock objective.
Leonard was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama in a March 18, 2014 ceremony in the White House. The award came through the Defense Authorization Act which called for a review of Jewish American and Hispanic American veterans from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War to ensure that no prejudice was shown to those deserving the Medal of Honor.
Honors and awards
Leonard received the Medal of Honor, the Bronze Star Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one Bronze Service Star, the World War II Victory Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Honorable Service Lapel Button-World War II.