5Nov1917 – 4May1945
Edison Days
Leonard graduated with the Class of January 1936.
It doesn’t appear that he played golf for Edison, however he and his brothers were all golfers. The Falldin name appeared frequently in the local sport pages in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s.
Military Service
Rate: Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class
Branch: United States Navy Reserve
Ship: USS Sangamon
Leonard entered the Navy on 6April1942. After basic training, he went to advanced training in Memphis, TN.
Leonard joined the crew of the USS Sangamon, an Escort Aircraft Carrier, after completing advanced training.
Leonard’s ship was involved in many famous battles in the Pacific as the United States pursued their “island hopping” campaign against Japan.
On 4May1945, Leonard and the Sangamon were sailing in the East China Sea in support of the Invasion of Okinawa. At 1830, her radars spotted Japanese aircraft incoming 29 miles off. Land-based fighters were vectored out to intercept the enemy planes and shot down nine. One Kamikaze made it through and soon began circling toward a position on Sangamon‘s port quarter. The escort carrier went into a hard left turn to avoid the enemy and to maneuver into a position to launch her aircraft. She then opened fire and was joined by her escorts. The enemy crashed into the water some 25 ft off the starboard beam.
At 1925, another aircraft made it through her Combat Air Patrol and managed to avoid Anti-Aircraft fire from the ships. At 1933, the aircraft dropped a bomb that crashed dead center on her flight deck, followed by the plane itself also crashing into the ship. The bomb and parts of the plane penetrated the deck and exploded below. Initial damage was extensive, fires broke out on the flight deck, the hangar deck, and in the fuel deck, communications from the bridge were lost within 15 minutes, and the ship was soon out of control.
Communications from the bridge were severed, and she became out of control. Unfortunately, she turned into the wind, which spread flames and smoke. At 2015, steering control was back in operation, so her captain ordered a course to help the fire-fighting. At 2230, after four hours of a raging inferno, everything was under control, including communications. It was reported to the captain at 2320, that the attack left 11 dead, 25 missing, and 21 seriously wounded.
Leonard was originally reported as one of the missing sailors.
The Navy later determined that Leonard had been killed in the Kamikaze attack on his ship.
Leonard’s body was never recovered, and he is still considered to be missing in action. Leonard’s name is one of 18,095 Americans missing from the Pacific during World War 2. The names are inscribed on the courts of the missing at the Honolulu Memorial which is located within the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, HI.
The Falldin Family
Leonard was not the only Falldin to serve in uniform during the war, nor was he the only Falldin to die in service. His older brother Arthur was killed 17Sep1945 when his ship struck a mine off the coast of Okinawa, Japan. His death came over a month after Japan had surrendered ending the war. Arthur did not attend Edison High School.
Leonard and Arthur were 2 of 10 Falldin sons. 8 of whom served during the war and the ninth was in the Army when the war ended. The 10th son was exempt from military service because his job was considered critical to the war effort. It is reported that he wanted to join as well. It was thought that 8 sons in service was the most of any family in the country.
Falldin American Legion Post
After the war, an American Legion Post was formed in honor of Leonard and Arthur.
Following the cessation of WWII, a group of local Veterans joined together to establish a Post in Northeast Mpls. in the American Legion, receiving their charter on September 24, 1946. The Post was named in honor of Arthur and Leonard Falldin who sacrificed their lives for our country. The Falldin family consisted of one daughter and ten sons, nine of whom served in WWII. Currently one is still alive, John Falldin. On February 5, 1946, Mr. and Mrs. John Falldin authorized Jack Pestello, Donald Ballentine, Frank Donahue and Axel Williams to use the name of their late sons, Arthur and Leonard, in making application for an American Legion Post for the Northeast area. Arthur and Leonard Falldin had both lost their lives in the Navy during World War II. Arthur I. Falldin entered the service in April 1942 and was killed when his ship hit a floating mine in September 1945. He was buried with military honors on Okinawa. Leonard O. Falldin entered service in October 1942 and was declared missing in May 1945. Official word of his death was received in October 1945. The application was submitted to the Fifth District American Legion headquarters in Minneapolis for a charter for the new American Legion Post to be known as the Arthur and Leonard Falldin Post. A charter was issued March 16, 1946. The objective these men had in starting the Post was to start a youth program to help make better citizens of the young men and women in the Northeast community of Minneapolis. They were hoping to do this through athletics. They formed very organized sports programs. Some of their athletes went on to become national champions, some to the Olympics and some to professional sports. The Post, at 3141 Central Ave. N.E., was active in all other phases of the American Legion, some of which includes community service, helping the needy, parties for the mentally retarded, parties for Seniors, Boy Scouts, School Patrol training, Firearms training for young people, Memorial Day programs, etc. The Post had grown to a high that year of 732 members. Over the years many changes took place as a result of declining membership, deceased members and other reasons. Eventually our Post was sold and with it many past programs were abandoned. Our Post is still alive and active. At present we are involved in such programs as Americanism, Veterans Affairs, hospital visitation, Oratorical, American Education Week, Boys and Girls State, Legionville and Community service. We also participate in a Memorial Day program and others as the occasion arises.
Edison Heroes 