Leon A. Barron was born in Walnut Hill on July 7, 1014 to the union of James Calhoun Barron and Margaret "Maggie" E. Mayo. His father was a foreman for a logging company, but passed away in 1923. He married Mary Emma Wise in 1937 and a daughter, Mary Lee soon followed.
He was inducted into the US Army on January 23, 1943 and assigned to the 102nd Cavalry Recon Squadron. Leon and his unit hit Omaha Beach on D-Day +2, unpacked their mechanized vehicle and drove forward for six miles. After tough fighting they passed through Caumont and on to the Cerisy Forest. For days they pushed the enemy toward the St. Lo Road defensive lines taking casualties as they went forward.
On June 14, 1944, Leon was acting as a forward scout on foot in front of his mounted recon platoon. As he came entered a wooded area he was caught in a three-way cross fire from German machine guns. Shot in the head he fell into a ditch, but continually exposed himself to direct fire into the enemy guns. He was again wounded as he attempted to assist his comrades. Finally, pulled to safety he died of his wounds on June 22, 1944 and was buried in the Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial, St. James, Normandie, France.
PFC Leon A. Barron, 102nd Cavalry Recon Squadron
PFC Leon A. Barron, US Army, KIA 6-22-1944, France
102nd Cavalry Mechanized Recon
PFC Leon A. Barron buried Brittany, American Cemetery and Memorial, St. James, Normandie, France