Leonard D. Harrison was born on September 9, 1922, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah. He was the son of Harrison Moroni Duval and Sarah E. Hansen Harrison. He entered the armed forces on December 12, 1942. He served in the 600th Bomber Squadron, 398th Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant and Tail Gunner of B-17 #42-97399 during World War II.
On August 8, 1944, during a bombing mission over France, the aircraft took off from Station 131 in Nuthampstead, Hertfordshire, UK. At 12:53 PM, while flying near La Chapelle-Engerbold in the commune of Condé-sur-Noireau (roughly 6 kilometers to the northwest), it was struck by German anti-aircraft fire. A direct hit between engines #1 and #2 set the wing ablaze, causing the aircraft to lose control and crash. Of the nine crew members on board, seven were killed in action, while the remaining two survived and were captured as prisoners of war.
SSgt Harrison was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, Millcreek, Salt Lake County, Utah, USA. Leonard D. Harrison's name is inscribed on the Anstey Window Memorial in Panel 2 (center), on Butterfly 15, in the top right wing (section B).
Source of information:www.americanairmuseum.com, www.398th.org