By Deborah Larsen
Leonard James Walker
Leonard James Walker was born in Rochester, Michigan, on April 13, 1926, the son of Gordon and Zuby Smith Walker. Leonard’s father was an employee of the DUR interurban line in Rochester. Before the war, Leonard worked at Yellow Truck & Coach in Pontiac and at McAleer Manufacturing in Rochester.
In September 1944, Leonard entered the U.S. Army. After training at Fort Knox, he was assigned to a tank division and sent to the Pacific Theater, where he spent eight months in Luzon. Leonard was released from military service in July 1946.
After the war, Leonard married, started a family, and became a sand plant operator. He retired to West Branch, Michigan, in 1990.
Leonard James Walker died at age 81 on December 31, 2007, and was laid to rest in Sanilac County, Michigan.