Col. William B. Leonard, of Reston, Va., died Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015 at Tall Oaks Assistance Living.
Born June 19, 1917 in Lecontes Mills, he was the son of the late James O. and Fannie E. (Krise) Leonard.
He was a member of the Congress Hill United Methodist Church.
He was a member of the Clearfield Lodge No. 314 F&A.M., the John Lewis Shade Post No. 6 American Legion, the Retired Officers Association, Frenchville VFW Post 8386, the Mosquito Creek Sportsmen’s Association and the Lecontes Mills Volunteer Fire Company.
He served six years as a Girard Township Supervisor; two years as president of the Clearfield High School Golden Bison and Alumni Association; and six years as a member of the board of directors of the Clearfield County Historical Society.
He was drafted into the U.S. Army in March of 1941 and retired in April of 1974 with 33 years of service. During his service, he held every enlisted and officer grade up to and including colonel.
During World War II, he saw combat with the XXIV Army Corps (404th Ordnance Co.) in The Asiatic Pacific Theater of Operations. He participated in the recapturing of the Island of Guam, Leyte in the Philippines and the invasion and capturing of Okinawa, where he was wounded and awarded a Purple Heart.
Other overseas assignments were three years in Spain as a logistics
advisor to the Spanish Army; approximately one year in the Dominican Republic as the director of logistics in the Inter-American Peace Force; and two years in Vietnam, one as a logistics advisor to the Vietnamese Army and another as the commander of the 184th Ordnance Ammunition Battalion U.S. forces.
Stateside assignments included two tours at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland, as a supply officer and a depot commander; three years as an assistant professor of military science and tactics at Lafayette College, Easton; and one year attending the Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan., the U.S. Army Language School at Fort Bragg, NC, and the U.S. Army Special Forces School at Sandia Base, Albuquerque, NM.
He served on the Army General staff in the Directorate of International Logistics for three years followed by the three-year assignment as international logistics advisor to the assistant secretary of the Army, all at the Pentagon.
He retired from the Army on April 30, 1974 after serving two years
as the director of logistics defense investigative service, H.Q. Department of Defense, Washington, D.C.
He was awarded the following decorations: the Purple Heart, the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf clusters, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the National Defense Service Medal with one Oak Leaf cluster, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the American Defense Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with one Oak Leaf cluster, the Army Meritorious Service Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with three Bronze Service Stars, the Philippine Liberation Medal with one Bronze Service Star the Vietnam Service Medal with three Bronze Service Stars, the Republic of Vietnam Service Medal with 60 device, a Meritorious Unit Commendation, the General Staff Identification Badge and six overseas bars.
He is survived by his son, Jeffrey D. Leonard and his wife, Jacqui of Reston, Va., and his grandchildren, Melissa K. Leonard, Emily B. Leonard, Chris Bogdewic, Ashley Yashan and Benjamin Yashan.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Phyllis (Proffitt) Leonard, to whom he was married June 6, 1947. She died Jan. 21, 2003. He was also preceded in death by 12 siblings.
Friends and family will be received from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 27 at the Bennett & Houser Funeral Home Inc. of Clearfield.
Burial will be in Arlington National Cemetery with services at the convenience of the family.