Leonard Roy Harmon, Mess Attendant First Class, USN, (1917-1942)

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Leonard Roy Harmon was born at Cuero, Texas, on 21 January 1917. He enlisted in the Navy in June 1939 and was assigned to USS San Francisco (CA-38) following training. During the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 13 November 1942, while serving aboard that ship, Mess Attendant Harmon assisted in evacuating and caring for the wounded. He deliberately exposed himself to enemy gunfire while attempting to protect a shipmate and was killed in action. For his heroism, Leonard Roy Harmon was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.

Two Navy ships were named in honor of Mess Attendant First Class Leonard Roy Harmon. The first, Harmon (DE-72), was transferred to the British Royal Navy in June 1943, prior to completion, and was renamed HMS Aylmer. The second ship, USS Harmon (DE-678), served actively from 1943 to 1947 and remained in the Reserve Fleet until 1967.

  
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