- Date Of Birth: November 9, 1922
- Date Of Death: October 11, 2022
- State: Connecticut
Leon R. Gardner, 99, of Ashford, Connecticut, beloved husband of the late Betty Gardner for nearly 72 years, was reunited with her on Tuesday, October 11, 2022.
He was born November 9, 1922 to Leon R. Gardner and Mary (Green) Gardner. He was the eldest of their three children and grew up in Ashford. His sister, Shirley C. Kienholz and brother, Merritt H. Gardner predeceased him.
He is survived by his children: Michael (Linda), David (Lisa) and Sharon Godere (Paul) and his six grandchildren: Aaron Gardner (Nina Krstic), Christopher Gardner (Zoe McGlamery), Benjamin Gardner (Michelle St. Pierre), Rachel McCue (Casey), Christina Pearman and Stephanie Marx (Forrest); and eleven great-grandchildren: Emelia, Isaac, Emmeline, Sevrin, Owen, Maeve, Gwendolyn, Adeline, Eleanor, Finn and Rosanna.
He was a veteran of World War II.
Leon and two other Ashford inductees went to Putnam to board a train for Fort Devens in Massachusetts. The weather was so bitterly cold Leon’s father kept his car running all night to be sure they would be able to get to Putnam on time.
The next destination was Atlantic City for army air force basic training. After basic training, Leon was sent to Silver Springs, Maryland and the Capitol Radio Institute to learn aircraft radio technology.
After completing the radio training Leon was sent to Drew Field in Florida awaiting assignment which was to the 8th Army Air Force.
Next Leon went by train to New York City to board a French passenger ship which had been converted into a troop ship. The ship sailed for England as part of a 70 ship convoy. Part way across the Atlantic the ship developed mechanical trouble and was forced to fall behind the convoy with a naval destroyer for protection from u-boats. The ship was eventually able to rejoin the convoy with the Atlantic crossing taking 11 days.
The ship docked in Scotland on Leon’s 21st birthday. Leon was assigned to the 2nd Strategic Air Depot near Huntingdon, England.
Leon’s unit was initially tasked with refurbishing aircraft hangars then maintaining the supply depot for the fleet of B-17 Flying Fortress bombers as well as swapping out damaged radios when the aircraft returned from missions. Leon was stationed in England from November 1943 through August 1945. After the Armistice, the airbase support crews were given a flight tour over Europe in B-17s to see first hand the war aftermath.
A chance invite to a local home in Huntington led to Leon meeting his future wife Betty.
Barnabas Aid at , or
Eastern Connecticut Forest Landowners/Wolf Den Land Trust at or by mail: PO Box 404 Brooklyn, CT 06234
