Leonard Alvin Horton

Leonard Horton was stationed in the Philippine Islands when the United States entered World War II. At the outbreak of hostilities, his outfit was re-designated as the Third Battalion, 4th Marines, and Horton became a member of Mike Company. He participated in the defense of the Philippines and the siege of Corregidor.

Japanese forces ultimately overwhelmed the Corregidor garrison, and on 6 May 1942 all Allied fighters on the island were ordered to lay down their arms and surrender. While most men bitterly complied, a few chose suicide – and few others decided to risk escape. Exactly how many men attempted this desperate plan will never be known; very few survived to be recognized, and fewer still lived to tell the tale.

Leonard Horton was reported as missing in action as of 6 May 1942. No eyewitnesses could be found to confirm his death, and he was never recorded as a prisoner of war. His Marine Corps casualty card contains a clue:

Roster of 4Mar & Nav Pers[onell] File Recov[ered] from Jap Prison Camp received 26 Oct 1945 states escaped from Corregidor.
Reported alive in Cavite Province in September 1942.

While the accuracy of this report has not yet been verified, it is known that several members of 3/4th Marines did escape custody and joined up with Filipino guerilla forces. No additional information about Horton’s whereabouts or activities is currently known.