Edward L. Leathers

Edward L. Leathers. . , Edward L. Leathers. Private First Class, United States Army, Reconnaissance Company, 67th Armored Regiment, Word War II. , Edward L. Leathers was born on November 13, 1924, and lived at 7 Jasper Street in Somerville. He left high school to join the U.S. Army during World War II on April 2, 1943. , While in the military, he was trained at Fort Knox and Camp Campbell, Kentucky, with the 2nd Armored Division, known as the "Hell on Wheels Division." He served under General Patton along with the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions in the European Theater of Operations. In his two years of wartime service, he participated in five major battles including the Battle of the Bulge (Ardennes), Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, and Central Europe. He also participated in the liberation of France, Holland, and Belgium, and was a member of the Honor Guard for President Truman when he rode into Berlin for the Potsdam Conference. , For his courage and exemplary service, PPC Edward Leathers was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. He was honorably discharged from the service on December 10, 1945, and retuned to live in Somerville until his death on June 16, 1978.