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| PFC Leonard Mason earned the Medal of Honor while serving with the 3rd Marine Division in Guam in July 1944. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8212372/leonard-foster-mason https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/world-war-ii/1944/guam-tinian/guam-gallery.html |
Leonard Forester Mason never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
Leonard was born on February 22, 1920 in Kentucky. His parents Hillary and Molly were also both born in Kentucky. His father worked as a farmer and later as a laborer. Leonard had three older sisters, three younger brothers, and six younger sisters. At some point he married Donna Potts.
He enlisted in the US Marines in April 1942. He was sent to the South Pacific in October 1943. He became a private first class in the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. The 3rd MD took part in the Battle of Bougainville beginning in November 1943.
The 3rd MD next saw action at the Battle of Guam when it made an amphibious landing on July 21, 1944. The next day PFC Mason singlehandedly charged and eliminated a threatening Japanese machine-gun position and was mortally wounded in the process.
His Medal of Honor citation reads as follows:
Suddenly taken under fire by 2 enemy machineguns not more than 15 yards away while clearing out hostile positions holding up the advance of his platoon through a narrow gully, Pfc. Mason, alone and entirely on his own initiative, climbed out of the gully and moved parallel to it toward the rear of the enemy position.
Although fired upon immediately by hostile riflemen from a higher position and wounded repeatedly in the arm and shoulder, Pfc. Mason grimly pressed forward and had just reached his objective when hit again by a burst of enemy machinegun fire, causing a critical wound to which he later succumbed. With valiant disregard for his own peril, he persevered, clearing out the hostile position, killing 5 Japanese, wounding another and then rejoining his platoon to report the results of his action before consenting to be evacuated.
His exceptionally heroic act in the face of almost certain death enabled his platoon to accomplish its mission and reflects the highest credit upon Pfc. Mason and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
Thank you PFC Mason for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Leonard.
Last year on this date I profiled Pearl Harbor fallen George Taber, USS West Virginia. You can read about George here.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Follow on Twitter @ww2fallen100
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
PFC Mason died aboard the hospital ship USS Elmore on July 23, 1944 from wounds sustained during the action that resulted in his Medal of Honor award.
The destroyer USS Leonard F. Mason was named in his honor in 1946.
His cenotaph memorial is at the Courts of the Missing, Honolulu Memorial. His widow remarried and died in 1989.
Last year on this date I profiled Pearl Harbor fallen George Taber, USS West Virginia. You can read about George here.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
I became friends with Leonard's younger brother Neil Mason in the early 1990s when we went to the same Southern Baptist Church in Nokomis Florida. Neil learned I was a US Navy Veteran and told me about his brother Leonard who earned the Medal of Honor on Guam in 44. I could tell the pride that Neil had for what his big brother did, despite the loss. Neil has gone on to be with his Lord and savior and rejoined his brother.
ReplyDeleteWish I could have known Leonard, because his brother Neil was an outstanding man (also a Veteran, US Army WWII).