USMC PFC Leon Edward Ryals was born in Vredenburgh, Alabama on June 27, 1925, the son of Robert Benjamin Ryals (1901-1980) and Ruby Francis McNorton (1905-1993). In 1930, his father was supporting his wife and four children as a foreman at an automobile shop while renting a house for $5.00 per month in Vredenburgh, Monroe County, Alabama. Ten years later the family had relocated to Brewton, Alabama where his father was working at a machine shop. It was here that Leon attended high school at T. C. Miller before enlisting in the Marines in October 1943. Shortly afterwards his family was living in Panama City where Leon used as his official address. In the meantime, his family would again move to Pensacola where they resided at 415 West Gregory Street. Following basic training, he was sent to the engineering and demolition school at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. When all was said and done, Leon was sent to the Pacific in September 1944 and assigned to Company "I", 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.
Given the dates of deployment he most likely would have arrived in time for the bloody landing at Peleliu on September 15, 1944. If he wasn't there for the landing, he would probably have become a replacement for one of the battle casualties. The first week of the battle cost the division 4,000 casualties before they were able to secure the airfield sites, which was one of the reasons for taking the island. Sadly, after the horrendous casualties suffered by the Marines it was determined that they did not really need the island.
Then came the landing on Okinawa, the mother of all the Pacific battles, on April 1, 1945. The island's strategic importance was that it had outstanding anchorage, excellent terrain for a troop staging area, and airfields in close proximity to Japan. The division was part of the III Amphibious Corps and positioned alongside the 6th Marine Division as they secured the north end of the island. However, the bloodiest fighting would take place on the southern end where they were ordered on May 1st. There, they came up against the formidable Shuri Line that had thus far repelled all attempts to penetrate it. On May 6th, Leon's company attacked the entrenched enemy but were smashed and repelled by their determined foe. Since he was trained in demolition it was his job to assist in blasting and burning the enemy out of their caves and bunkers that was holding up their advance. On May 9th, the division charged forth and made substantial advances before being recalled. This was because of the muddy condition of the ground that made it impossible for the tanks to furnish support to assault troops. But it was here that Leon was killed in action in the labyrinth of death that had already taken so may lives. His body would be returned to his family in 1949 and buried in the Bayview Cemetery.
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