Need help for Medal Of Honor winner Lt. Turney W. Leonard (42)

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Capitol Ag
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12:10a, 1/7/11
AG
I just watched a story on NBC 5 here in the DFW area about a Dallas Police officer who is trying to find next of kin for MoH winner Lt. Leonard.

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local-beat/Retirees-Hoping-to-Honor-Medal-of-Honor-Winner-113051929.html

Apparently his grave site is in need of repair and he has to get in contact with surviving family of Lt. Leonard's to be able to make the site more fitting of the hero Lt. Leonard was.

What got to me was this:

quote:
"I went to the grave site," he said. "There were no decorations whatsoever. I went and purchased a small flag and placed it on the grave. I returned on Veteran's Day, still no decorations."




Personally that surprised me considering he was one of our 7 Medal of Honor winners and has a plaque in the MSC (in Rudder right now due to construction).

Would anybody know who to contact with the Association or with the Corps Association? I was going to forward this guy the info to try and help him. Maybe something could be done for the site by us. Seems that an Ag that had done this much would deserve that...





[This message has been edited by Capitol Ag (edited 1/7/2011 12:11a).]
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HollywoodBQ
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2:49a, 1/7/11
AG
I'd be surprised if he's actually buried there. This part of his Medal of Honor Citation sent chills down my spine when I used to read it in the hallways of Budinot Hall at Fort Knox.
quote:
He was last seen at a medical aid station which was subsequently captured by the enemy.
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CanyonAg77
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9:52a, 1/7/11
AG
Don't know if this is correct, but from Wiki:
quote:
On 6 November, a mortar round severed the remainder of his arm, and forced him to report to the aid station. Leonard was left behind with the other seriously wounded in the hopes that the Germans, who were about to overrun the American positions, would provide medical care, but he ordered the medic to place him in a concealed foxhole with a weapon, explaining that he did not want to be taken prisoner. His remains were found after the War in a field grave dug by the Germans. On 1 September 1945, Leonard posthumously received the Medal of Honor.

The book Texas Aggie Medals of Honor can be searched online as a Google eBook. According to it, Leonard's body was not found until late 1949 and he was returned to the states and buried in May 1950.
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CanyonAg77
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9:59a, 1/7/11
AG
http://hurtgen1944.homestead.com/Currentnewsfromthehurtgen.html
quote:
A piece of Aggie history has returned to Texas A&M after being forgotten in Germany for 56 years.

Medal of Honor recipient 1st. Lt. Turney W. Leonard's Aggie ring came home in a private ceremony. The ring was presented to Turney W. Leonard's only surviving sibling, Mr. Douglas Leonard of Dallas, TX. The ring was returned by German Lt. Volker Lossner, who obtained the ring from his father-in-law, Alfred Hutmacher.

Lossner said Hutmacher found the ring after helping American forces locate the graves of Americans killed during the battle of the Hürtgen Forest and had virtually forgotten about the ring's existence until Lossner expressed an interest in the battle.

Lossner said he didn't immediately understand the significance of the ring, but knew it might be important to someone, so he contacted US Army Col. Thomas Fosnacht to arrange for the ring to be returned.

Contact was made with Texas A&M President Dr. Ray M. Bowen, who arranged to bring Lossner to Texas A&M for the presentation. It was then that Lossner heard of Turney W. Leonard's story.

1st. Lt. Turney W. Leonard was with the 893rd Tank Destroyer Battalion. His heroism in a fierce 3-day engagement near Kommerscheidt, Germany won him the Medal of Honor. He was last seen at a medical aid station and is believed to have died on November 7, 1944.

Surely someone at the Sanders Corps of Cadets center or the A&M administration knows...
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CanyonAg77
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10:11a, 1/7/11
AG
The AFS lists a John E. Leonard, class of '52, a retired dentist living in Dallas. All other Leonards from 1930 to 1960 are deceased.

Might not be related, but then again he might be.
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Ryan the Temp
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1:50a, 1/9/11
AG
His brother was John William Leonard, who died in 1973.
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annie88
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3:50p, 1/14/11
AG
Guys, this was blown out of proportion and everything is okay with this situation.

Lieutenant Leonard's family has been visiting the grave site for many years, with many of them with other family in the same plot and it's not in the disarray stated here.

You have to understand that a lot of the same "traditions" and "honors" given to MOH grave sites were not done that way when Lieutenant Leonard was buried, but it was and still is, I can assure you, in good condition, but is a modest tombstone of the day, well, actually it is the second one, replaced within a decade of his burial. It is very similiar to the engraving style of those in Arlington with a MOH seal on the corner, although it is the kind that lays on the ground and not upright.

There will be some additions made to the grave by the local VFW groups, but the gist of this story and the gentleman who initiated was, although well-intentioned, misconstrued some of the facts in this story.

Trust me, I have talked to the family in the past week and first met them at a ceremony for Lieutenant Leonard about a year and a half ago. There was really no mystery here on where they were. The right people were not contacted before this story went out.

But, all is good.






[This message has been edited by annie88 (edited 1/14/2011 3:59p).]
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Mooch98
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10:55p, 1/14/11
AG
Good to hear
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SiValleyAg68
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4:36p, 9/21/15
AG
This legendary story about the Return of the Ring of Texas Aggie Medal-of-Honor 1st. Lt. Turney W. Leonard `42 continues. (This story was in the 2001 January issue of "TEXAS AGGIE" magazine.)

The bearer (German Army Lt. Obit Lossner) returns to Aggieland to witness his (Lossner's) son, Sebastian Lossner, receive his very own Aggie Ring. Lossner's youngest son also has enrolled at Texas A&M University.
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ABattJudd
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In reply to SiValleyAg68 • 6:29p, 9/22/15
AG
quote:
This legendary story about the Return of the Ring of Texas Aggie Medal-of-Honor 1st. Lt. Turney W. Leonard `42 continues. (This story was in the 2001 January issue of "TEXAS AGGIE" magazine.)

The bearer (German Army Lt. Obit Lossner) returns to Aggieland to witness his (Lossner's) son, Sebastian Lossner, receive his very own Aggie Ring. Lossner's youngest son also has enrolled at Texas A&M University.
That's friggin' awesome. I remember the ceremony at Kyle when the ring was returned. I think I had some allergy problems then...
"Well, if you can’t have a great season, at least ruin somebody else’s." - Olin Buchanan
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Smithjg
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3:39a, 9/23/15
I had dinner one evening at a BMA Ags home and Lt. Lossner was an honored guest for the evening. I had a great time listening to his story of the Ring and it's return among several other stories. The BMA and several other Ags at the dinner table scheduled a trip to Europe (of which I was NOT invited!) and Lt. Lossner was to be their tour guide, showing them the battlefields of WWII and giving them his (German) point of view as well as the Americans. Very nice man and I am not surprised to learn he has an Aggie Grad in the family.

My sons outfit has a German officer embedded with them, I will quiz him about being related...
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thegerman
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In reply to Smithjg • 5:59p, 9/19/16
Yes Sir this is correct,

as I speak, I am part of the story, being the second son of Volker Lossner.
My brother is at A&M and received his Aggie Ring last year. Honoring that, kbtx, interviewed him and my dad to celebrate the ongoing legacy of Turney W. Leonards Aggie Ring.

We as a family, are so very grateful for all the people we have met and I cannot express how amazed we still are by the Aggie Family.

If you have any questions feel free to ask me. There is plenty of information on this topic shown in the Corps of Cadets museum and a good contact is James R. Woodall, who wrote a book about all 7 medal of honor winners.

Thanks and Gig-em
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Smithjg
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In reply to thegerman • 11:11p, 9/22/16
quote:
Yes Sir this is correct,

as I speak, I am part of the story, being the second son of Volker Lossner.
My brother is at A&M and received his Aggie Ring last year. Honoring that, kbtx, interviewed him and my dad to celebrate the ongoing legacy of Turney W. Leonards Aggie Ring.

We as a family, are so very grateful for all the people we have met and I cannot express how amazed we still are by the Aggie Family.

If you have any questions feel free to ask me. There is plenty of information on this topic shown in the Corps of Cadets museum and a good contact is James R. Woodall, who wrote a book about all 7 medal of honor winners.

Thanks and Gig-em
Welcome to the Aggie family! I really enjoyed visiting with and listening to your dad that evening at the Goodwin's home, I assume you know Henry and Linda? They are a great Aggie family! Last year, Robert Maier a Lt. In the German army, was in my sons's Squadron (18). Robert came home with our son for Thanksgiving last year and is a great young man.
Again, welcome to Aggieland. Your grandfather passing the ring on and your dad returning the ring started a wonderful chain of events, which culminated in you and your brother becoming Aggies!
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Doc 74
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8:37p, 3/4/18
AG
I just watched Oliver North's War Stories episode about the Huertgen Forest. Lieutenant Leonard was prominently discussed and there was a clip of Aggieland and the ceremony with Captain Volker Lossner presenting the ring to Lieutenant Leonard's family, It was very impressive.
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