Leroy Alvin Ruder was born on May 22, 1921, in Nekoosa, Wisconsin. He was the son of Albert S. Ruder and Sigrid A. Ruder. Before enlisting in the Army Air Corps, he was employed by the Nekoosa-Edwards paper company. He received his wings and commission as a Second Lieutenant at Luke Field, Arizona. Assigned to an overseas post, he reached England in November 1943.

Leroy served in the 364th Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group as a Captain during World War II. He was Killed in Action on June 06, 1944, in the crash of his P51 #42-106768 'Linda Lou' aircraft, due to an engine failure, at Saint-Michel-en-Grève, France. CPT Ruder is buried now in the Riverside Cemetery, Nekoosa, Wood County, Wisconsin, USA.

Source of photo: www.americanairmuseum.com