LEONARD, Ellis, St. Helena Parish, Louisiana
File prepared by D.N. Pardue and submitted by Inez Bridges Tate.
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Submitted to the LAGenWeb Archives
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From "St. Helena Vets Remember World War II: Personal Interviews
With World War II Vets", published by St. Helena Historical
Association, 1995.  Compiled and edited by Inez Bridges Tate and
reprinted with permission.

     Ellis Leonard was born April 2, 1921.  He was the son of

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Leonard and he grew up in the New Zion

Community.  Ellis did farm work and some sawmill work.  He was

in the CCC's for a year.

     Drafted in April 1943, Ellis took basic training, then

advanced training and was at Fort Benning, Georgia, which was

the camp where inductees of Infantry were trained.  He was assign-

ed to the 90th Infantry Division.

     Completing training Ellis was sent overseas to England and

was a part of the vast armada of ships and troops that invaded

Normandy June 6, 1944.  This is etched in our memory forever as

"D-Day."  Ellis sustained serious injuries during the invastion

which were fatal to him about three weeks later.  This was

either late June or early July 1944.

     Ellis is buried in the National Cemetery, Florida Boulevard,

Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Information provided by his brother Lathan Leonard.

- - - - -

Newspaper Clipping:

25 June 1943

Pvt. Ellis H. Leonard of Fort
Benning, Ga., is spending a 15-day
furlough with his parents, Mr.
and Mrs. Henry Leonard of Greens-
burg.

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