Leonard Mason (DD 852) - Naval Cruise Book

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OUR NAMESAKE On the 22nd of July, 1944, Leonard F. Mason found himself face down in the dirt. He was under fire from two enemy machine guns not more than 15 yards away from the narrow gully where he lie. He was an automatic rifleman in the United States Marine Corps. Attached to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division, his platoon was fighting on Guam during World War ll. Alone and entirely on his own initiative, PFC Mason hurled himself out of the gully and ran parallel to it toward the rear of the enemy position. Although fired upon immediately by hostile riflemen from a higher position and repeatedly wounded in the arm and shoulder, Mason grimly pressed forward and had just reached his objective when hit by a burst of machine gun fire. With valiant disregard for his own peril, he persevered, clearing the hostile position, killing five Japa- nese, wounding another and then rejoined his platoon to report the results of his action. He was immediately evacuated and later succumbed to his wounds. For action above and beyond the call of duty, PFC Mason was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously.