MSM 640 W.C. "Billy" Leonard - From Kosciusko to Manila

Kosciusko native W.C. "Billy" Leonard got married and joined the Army in 1940.  In this episode, he recalls how his life changed after hearing news of the Japanese attack on a place called Pearl Harbor. While serving as an artillery officer, Leonard met several people from his hometown. He remembers being pleasantly surprised by one such Kosciusko connection. Leonard's artillery platoon was transferred to a base in Burbank, California to await deployment. He recounts how he and his wife were able to tour Hollywood before he was shipped out. After months of fighting in the Philippine Islands, Leonard was given a 30-day leave before the planned invasion of the Japanese mainland. He explains how dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki changed those plans. After the war, Billy Leonard came home and eventually took over Leonard's Department Store from his father. He ran the business until his retirement in 1985.  Leonard passed away in fall of 2005.