Leon Robert Vance Jr. (1916 - 1944)

Born 11 Aug 1916 in Enid City, Garfield, Oklahoma, United States

Died 26 Jul 1944 at age 27 in At Sea

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Biography

Leon Vance Jr. was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Leon Vance Jr. was awarded the Purple Heart.

Private Leon Vance Jr. was Missing in Action on July 26, 1944 when his plane crashed into the sea during World War II.

Lt. Col. Leon Vance Jr. served in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II
Service started: 12 Jun 1939
Unit(s): 489th Bombardment Group, Eighth Air Force
Service ended: 26 Jul 1944

Leon was born on 11 August 1916 in Enid, Oklahoma. His parents were Leon Vance Sr. and Edna Hannifan.

He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point on 12 June 1939.

He married Georgette Brown on 13 June 1939 in the US Military Academy Chapel at West Point, New York.^[1][2]

He passed away on 26 July 1944 when the C-54 Skymaster hospital plane he was aboard was lost traveling from Scotland to New York. The plane was never found.

Congressional Medal of Honor Citation

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty on 5 June 1944, when he led a Heavy Bombardment Group, in an attack against defended enemy coastal positions in the vicinity of Wimereaux, France. Approaching the target, his aircraft was hit repeatedly by antiaircraft fire which seriously crippled the ship, killed the pilot, and wounded several members of the crew, including Lt. Col. Vance, whose right foot was practically severed. In spite of his injury, and with 3 engines lost to the flak, he led his formation over the target, bombing it successfully. After applying a tourniquet to his leg with the aid of the radar operator, Lt. Col. Vance, realizing that the ship was approaching a stall altitude with the 1 remaining engine failing, struggled to a semi-upright position beside the copilot and took over control of the ship. Cutting the power and feathering the last engine he put the aircraft in glide sufficiently steep to maintain his airspeed. Gradually losing altitude, he at last reached the English coast, whereupon he ordered all members of the crew to bail out as he knew they would all safely make land. But he received a message over the interphone system which led him to believe 1 of the crewmembers was unable to jump due to injuries; so he made the decision to ditch the ship in the channel, thereby giving this man a chance for life. To add further to the danger of ditching the ship in his crippled condition, there was a 500-pound bomb hung up in the bomb bay. Unable to climb into the seat vacated by the copilot, since his foot, hanging on to his leg by a few tendons, had become lodged behind the copilot’s seat, he nevertheless made a successful ditching while lying on the floor using only aileron and elevators for control and the side window of the cockpit for visual reference. On coming to rest in the water the aircraft commenced to sink rapidly with Lt. Col. Vance pinned in the cockpit by the upper turret which had crashed in during the landing. As it was settling beneath the waves an explosion occurred which threw Lt. Col. Vance clear of the wreckage. After clinging to a piece of floating wreckage until he could muster enough strength to inflate his life vest he began searching for the crewmember whom he believed to be aboard. Failing to find anyone he began swimming and was found approximately 50 minutes later by an Air-Sea Rescue craft. By his extraordinary flying skill and gallant leadership, despite his grave injury, Lt. Col. Vance led his formation to a successful bombing of the assigned target and returned the crew to a point where they could bail out with safety. His gallant and valorous decision to ditch the aircraft in order to give the crewmember he believed to be aboard a chance for life exemplifies the highest traditions of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Enid Air Force base was renamed Vance Air Force Base on 8 July 1949 in honor of Leon.

Residences

• 1920 - Anthony, Harper, Kansas, United States.^[3]
• 1930 - Enid, Garfield, Oklahoma, United States.^[4]
• 1940 - Alamo Heights, Justice Precinct 1, Bexar, Texas, United States.^[5]

Find A Grave: Memorial #8111160 - Tablets of the Missing, Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, England.

Find A Grave: Memorial #176207786 - Waukomis Cemetery, Waukomis, Garfield County, Oklahoma

Sources

1. ↑ “Enid Lieutenant Wed At West Point” Blackwell Daily Journal, Blackwell, Oklahoma, 14 Jun 1939, Wed • Page 3
2. ↑ “Miss Brown, Lt. Brown are Married” The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, New York, 14 Jun 1939, Wed • Page 10
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF6D-PFG : accessed 17 November 2020), Leon R Vance in household of Leon R Vance, Anthony, Harper, Kansas, United States; citing ED 76, sheet 5A, line 42, family 118, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 533; FHL microfilm 1,820,533.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XC7F-4TX : accessed 17 November 2020), Leon R Vance in household of Leon R Vance, Enid, Garfield, Oklahoma, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 14, sheet 10A, line 49, family 245, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1902; FHL microfilm 2,341,636.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KWNJ-BSB : 22 May 2020), Leon R Vance, Alamo Heights, Justice Precinct 1, Bexar, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 15-1, sheet 13B, line 63, family 437, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 3985.

• Blackwell Journal-Tribune Blackwell, Oklahoma 06 Jun 1939, Tue • Page 2
• “ Vance Made.Lt.CoL Before Leaving” Prairie Flier, Winfield, Kansas, 10 Sep 1943, Fri • Page 1
• “Foot Shot Off, Enid Pilot Flies Riddled Plane Back” The Daily Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 04 Jul 1944, Tue • Page 2
• “Hospital Plane Is Lost At Sea” The Daily Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 30 Jul 1944, Sun • Page 10
• “Enid Flyer Acclaimed for Heroism” The Enid Events, Enid, Oklahoma, 19 Jan 1945, Fri • Page 1
• “ Child of Enid War Hero To Receive Medal” The Daily Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 10 Oct 1946, Thu • Page 31
• “ Ceremony At Enid Air Base Is Arranged - Two Flying Fields Being Renamed For Vance and Kegelman” The El Reno Daily Tribune, El Reno, Oklahoma, 03 Jul 1949, Sun • Page 1
• National Medal of Honor Museum - Leon R Vance
• Congressional Medal of Honor Society - Leon R Vance Jr.
• The Hall of Valor Project - Leon Robert Vance
• Air Force Magazine, “Namesakes: Leon R. Vance” 1 Sep 2019
• Air Force Historical Support Division - Vance -Lt Col Leon R Vance Jr
• Home of Heroes - Leon “Bob” Vance
• Wikipedia.org - Leon Vance