Leo J. McDonald was born in 1920, in Illinois. He was the son of Edwin James McDonald and Leona E. Studi McDonald. He served in the 32nd Bomber Squadron, 301st Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Second Lieutenant and Pilot of B‑17F‑30‑DL #42‑3157 nicknamed “Laura” during World War II.

On July 26, 1944, the aircraft was shot down during a bombing mission targeting a factory in Wiener-Neudorf, Austria. Due to heavy cloud cover, the mission became disorganized, and although a recall order was issued, the crew of "Laura" did not receive it. The bomber formation was then attacked by approximately 50 German fighters. As the trailing aircraft, "Laura" was singled out and sustained heavy damage, eventually entering a steep dive and exploding in mid-air. Of the ten crew members on board, five were killed, while the remaining five survived by parachuting out and were subsequently taken as prisoners of war.

2Lt McDonald was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Lemay Township, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA.

Source of information: b17flyingfortress.de, www.32ndbombsquadron.org