A D-Day Veteran Story: Project Uniform for Leland

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PROJECT: UNIFORM FOR LELAND

A D-Day Veteran Story

 

In late May 2009, at an end-of-winter pot-luck dinner in Lakeland, Florida, Louise tapped Peggy on the shoulder and asked her advice on creating a uniform for her husband Leland. Leland was returning to Europe for a veteran’s ceremony and did not want to be without a uniform this time. She explained that in 2004 Leland took part in the 60th anniversary D-Day ceremonies in Normandy, France and was one of the few veterans not in uniform.

 

Determined not to let that happen again, Louise asked for advice. Since Peggy was about to drive back to Connecticut, there was no time to create a uniform. Then Peggy had an idea; what if her friend could find an original WWII uniform for Leland instead?

 

OPERATION UNIFORM FOR LELAND:

With the ceremony in Europe just two weeks away, Peggy contacted her friend A. J., a WWII historian in Quincy, Massachusetts. Glad to help, A. J. spoke with Louise directly to get measurements and unit information. But could a uniform be found in time?

 

After a nationwide search for a WWII Ike jacket of the required size, A. J. had bad news; very few uniforms of that larger size existed during WWII, let alone still exist today. With only a few days left, A. J. again sent out requests to fellow historians for a period Eisenhower-style “Ike” uniform.

 

Then a breakthrough … a potential uniform match was found in Indiana only to learn that the uniform was no longer available; it had just been sold. A. J. contacted the seller anyway and explained the “Uniform for Leland” effort hoping he had another option. The uniform owner, Brian in Terre Haute, Indiana, wrote back with the good news. He had a second nearly-identical uniform he was keeping for himself. Better still, the uniform was a brand new original WWII Ike outfit dated March 1, 1945 in Leland’s size; the uniform was found just in time.

 

With the uniform problem solved, A.J. concentrated on the remaining ten items. The khaki vintage shirt was found in Minnesota. A WWII overseas hat was located in Ohio. The 299th insignia and engineer’s collar tabs were found in Florida. The vintage 3rd Army shoulder patch, rank stripes, overseas insignia and discharge insignia were donated by Chris, a historian in Somerville, Massachusetts. Then A. J. put together a large folder of 299^th Engineer’s photos and history for Leland to review and reminisce.

 

 

Once assembled, the items were driven down to Connecticut where Peggy had just arrived from Florida. Peggy sewed the uniform together and the completed outfit was nervously shipped overnight to Louise and Leland in Lakeland, Florida. What if it doesn’t fit? There would be little time to make adjustments or worse, start over.

 

The next day we heard from Louise; the uniform fit like a glove. Even the pant length was already perfectly hemmed. It was as though the uniform was custom made for Leland in 1945 and delivered 64 years later. Louise wrote A. J. with appreciation and asked how much they owe for the WWII uniform. The response: “Thank Leland for his service to our country. He owes us nothing.”

 

THE REST OF THE STORY:

Leland was not just a WWII veteran, he was a D-Day veteran. Leland was the first to land on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France at 6:33am on June 6, 1944. As a demolition expert with the 299th Combat Engineers Battalion, his unit of specialists had orders to destroy the beach landing craft barriers so that the D-Day invasion could succeed. His unit had the highest casualty rate of the invasion with one third of his fellow soldiers dying in the first few minutes after landing. Following demolition, Leland was shot and laid on the beach unconscious. He was transported to a hospital in England and two weeks later returned to fight with his unit in France and Luxembourg. The 299th was then transferred to the 3^rd Army to fight under General Patton in Belgium and Germany.

 

On June 18th, 2009, Leland returned to Luxembourg for the first time since September 1944. Emotions ran high as they drove through streets lined with local children waving American flags in appreciation for the American heroes who liberated their town. When Leland arrived at the ceremony, he realized he was no longer the soldier without his uniform; he was the only soldier in uniform. As you can expect, Leland was the hit of the ceremony. Everyone wanted to be photographed with a WWII hero looking sharp in his original 1945 Ike uniform.

 

What began as a simple sewing question in May grew into a frenzied nationwide effort driven by the magic words “This is for a D-Day vet.” In all seven strangers in five states built a uniform for a veteran they did not know. But what they lacked in familiarity was offset by a common purpose; let this American hero proudly return to Europe as Private Leland of Patton’s 3rd Army.

 

 

88-year-old Private Leland at the Luxembourg award ceremony for American WWII liberators June 18, 2009

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now that is an inspiring story! thanks for taking the time put this together.

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By the way, Leland passed away last year after he was recognized with the French Legion of Honor. Before he passed the bullet that took him out on Omaha Beach was still found logged inside his chest. He carried that bullet from the morning of June 6, 1944 until the day he died.

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now that is an inspiring story! thanks for taking the time put this together.

 

Just proves that collectors nationwide are always willing to help a vet.