Leland Kent Horne

Military ROLL OF HONOUR

Biography - Kent was born in Almo, Idaho. He was the last and 8th child of John T and Roxie Jane Horne. He was a young man with hopes and dreams which just lasted 23 short years.



In 1939 Kent attended classes at Idaho State University in Pocatello where he enrolled in a special aviation class and gained his pilots license. Kent went to Los Angeles with two older brothers, Theo and Merlin where they all worked at Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. He was able to enlist in the Army Air Corps as an officer in February 1943 and received his basic training at Merced Army Air Base.



He received his Primary flight training at Helmet, California and went on to his Secondary flight training in the AT6 airplane at Williams AFB in Chandler, Arizona. Kent graduated from that training in December of 1943 at which time he was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant and received his pilot wings. He was assigned to Oxnard, CA for 5 months.



In May, 1944 his group was ordered to ship overseas. His family didn't know his destination until they received a letter from him in London, and knew he was in the European area. June 19, 1944 was Kent's final mission.



He was on a combat mission over France and collided with another plane. His body was never recovered. June 20, 1945 he was declared dead. He received a Purple Heart for Military Merit. Kent's name is engraved on a wall in the Rhone American Cemetery, Draguignan, Var, France.t

Connections

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Units served with

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
  • Unit: 479th Fighter Group 435th Fighter Squadron

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Almo, Idaho 28 February 1921
Los Angeles, Ca 1 February 1942 3641 Seneca Street Worked for Lockheed, possibly building the same type of aircraft (P-38) that he would fly in combat

Enlisted

Santa Ana, CA 12 February 1943 5'11" 149 lbs

Other

Killed in Action (KIA)

St. Hilaire, France 19 June 1944

Buried

Rhone American Cemetery and Memorial No Known Grave Tablets of the Missing Rhone American Cemetery Rhone American Cemetery 553 blvd John F. Kennedy 83300 Draguignan France