Near south entrance. of the church graveyard. Isolated Burial

A standard US Military gravestone.

The Isolated Burial (ISOB) is of Private Eric Leander, of the 47^th Armored Infantry Battalion, 5^thArmored “Victory” Division who was KIA on December 6, 1944 during the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest near Bergstein, Germany.

Eric Leander was born of February 2, 1908 in Tofteryds, Sweden.  He immigrated to the United States in 1927 and became a citizen in 1932. He lived in Chicago, Illinois and enlisted in the US Army in 194 Service Number 36324211.  After his death is was temporarily interned until his bodied was returned to his native country of Sweden in 1949. He was one of over 4,200 US soldiers born in Sweden who served in the US military from 1941-45.

Special thanks to Lars Gyllenhaal, author of "200 svenska sevärdheter från andra världskriget (200 Swedish WWII Sights)” for assistance and photos of this memorial.

ERIC ROLF LEANDER

ILLINOIS

PFC 47 ARMD INFANTERY BN 

WORLD WAR II  BSM – PH

FEB 3 1908 DEC 6 1944

Note: 

BSM is Bronze Star Medal

PH- Purple Heart