Pvt. Fred G. Leonard Jr.


Born: 12 August 1919 - Mercer County, Kentucky

Parents: Fred G. Leonard Sr. & Alma Roach-Leonard

Hometown: Harrodsburg, Kentucky

Enlisted: 

    - Kentucky National Guard

Inducted: 

    - U. S. Army 

        - 25 November 1940 - Harrodsburg, Kentucky

Training: 

    - Fort Knox, Kentucky

    - Camp Polk, Louisiana

Overseas Duty: 

    - Philippine Islands

Engagements: 

    - Battle of Luzon

    - Battle of Bataan

Prisoner of War: 

    - 9 April 1942

        - Death March

            - Mariveles - POWs started march at southern tip of Bataan
            - POWs ran past Japanesee artillery firing at Corregidor
                - Americans on Corregidor returned fire
            - San Fernando - POWs put into small wooden boxcars
                - each boxcar could hold eight horses or forty men
                - 100 POWs packed into each car
                - POWs who died remained standing
            - Capas - dead fell to floor as living left boxcars
            - POWs walked last ten miles to Camp O'Donnell

            - Leonard was reported missing while on march 

POW Camps: 

    Philippine Islands: 

        - Camp O'Donnell

            - unfinished Filipino training base
            - Japanese put camp into use as POW Camp
            - only one water spiget for entire camp
            - as many as 50 POWs died each day
            - Japanese opened new POW camp to lower death rate
 

        - Cabanatuan #1

Died:

    - 28 August 1942 - cerebral malaria

        - Approximate time of death - 3:30 AM

Buried: Spring Hill Cemetery - Harrodsburg


 

 

Return to Company D