Sidney J. Lesneau was born on April 15, 1917, in Benton County, Minnesota. He resided in Ramsey County, Minnesota, prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on October 10, 1941, prior to the war, at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a hospital attendant and also as Single, without dependents.

Sidney was the right waist gunner of the B-17 42-3049 “Windy City Challenger” which took off from station 105 in Chelveston, Northamptonshire, UK, on a bombing mission over Villacoublay. Two German FW-190 fighters came at the plane around 10000 feet at 0820. Their fire killed seven of the eleven crew members, their bodies trapped in the wreckage of the exploded plane. The other four managed to bail out and opened their parachutes at 1000 feet. Sgt Lesneau died in the crash.