Veterans' Memorial Project

Leonard Joseph Check

Williston, ND

World War II

College: Engineering

Graduation Year: Attended 1936

Service Branch: Navy

Rank: Lieutenant Commander

Date of Birth: 03/04/1911

Date of Death: 01/06/1945

Lt. Commander Check was a naval aviator who received the Navy Air Medal from the late President Roosevelt for dive bomber action in the Marshall Islands. He was reported Missing in Action in January, 1945, following a raid on Helto airfield, Formosa, and presumed dead a year later. Early in the war, Commander Check piloted a dive bomber with a squadron attached to the Carrier USS Enterprise, which participated in nearly every major carrier engagement at that time. On his second tour of duty, he was flight commander of Squadron 7. Besides the Air Medal, to which a Gold Star was added later, he held the Navy Cross, Legion of Merit, Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross with Gold Star, Presidential Unit Citation and Purple Heart. Commander Check entered the Naval Reserve in July, 1939, and was transferred to the regular Navy in February, 1941. He is buried at Plot A Row 0 Grave 418 at Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii.

-taken from Illinois Alumni News, April, 1947

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