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Leon A. Julien

NAME
Leon Alfred Julien
NICKNAME
SERVICE NUMBER
245991
UNIT
VMSB-131
Pilot
HOME OF RECORD
158 South Jackson Street, Mobile, AL
raised Brockton, MA
NEXT OF KIN
Wife, Mrs. Barbara Julien
DATE OF BIRTH
1914
ENTERED SERVICE
October 2, 1934
DATE OF LOSS
February 1, 1943
reported February 2, 1943
REGION
Solomon Islands
CAMPAIGN / AREA
New Georgia
CASUALTY TYPE
Missing In Action
Declared Dead February 3, 1945
CIRCUMSTANCES OF LOSS
Master Technical Sergeant Leon A. Julien was a torpedo-bomber pilot assigned to VMSB-131. He participated in the campaign for the northern Solomon islands, and on 1 February 1943 took part in an afternoon strike against Japanese ships near Munda. Over the target, the bombers were attacked by a CAP of Japanese fighter planes.

Immediately after dropping its payload, Julien’s plane (TBF-1 01742) was hit, cartwheeled, and slammed into the water. Nobody ever saw the crew – Julien, Private George N. Brown (turret gunner), Private Gerald R. Schroeder (radio), or the passenger, Lt. Robert M. Montgomery – alive again. All four Marines were declared dead on 3 February 1945.

INDIVIDUAL DECORATIONS
Purple Heart
LAST KNOWN RANK
Master Technical Sergeant
STATUS OF REMAINS
Missing in action
MEMORIALS
Manila American Cemetery

Biography:
Coming soon. Contact the webmaster for more information about this Marine.


Articles & Records:

War Diary of VMSB-131, January 1943. Note that the action in which Molvik and Julien’s planes were lost occurred on 1 February 1943.

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