Leeland Thomas Engelhorn was born September 19th, 1922, at Church’s Ferry, North Dakota. When World War II broke out, 18-year-old Leeland joined the Air Corps and was sent to Europe. On his 21st mission, he was a ball turret gunner and radio operator on a B-24. On August 3, 1944, they were coming back from a bombing run when German fighters attacked. They lost five B-24s, while the Germans lost thirteen ME-109s.