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name
BRADFORD, Leon - Date of
birth
unknown -
Age
unknown - Place of
birth
unknown -
Hometown
Jackson County, Arkansas
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
38353210 -
Rank
Private First Class -
Function
unknown -
Unit
327th Field Artillery Battalion,
84th Infantry Division
-
Awards
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
13 January 1945 - Place of
death
Belgium
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Henri-Chapelle
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| H | 1 | 37 |
More information
During one of our engagements in the bulge we had a hang fire on one of our howitzers. The man responsable for firing the weapon did not wait the required five minutes to remove the primer. He stepped in back of the breech and reached up to remove the primer and at that time the gun fired. Our man, Leon Bradford, was hit by the recoil and thrown against the trail. By the time I got out to the gun the man had turned completely purple. We had called the battalion aid station and the doctor came immediatly, but Leon died before aid could get to him. It was the first casualty we had in the battery.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, www.wwiimemorial.com.
Photo source: Peter Schouteten