Leonard Isaacson was born on May 6, 1917 in Champion, Alberta and was married to Wanda Jensen Isaacson. They had two children: Kent Isaacson and Lenda Isaacson Heaston. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in November 1941. In the summer of 1942 he was sent to an Air Gunnery School where he graduated as a commissioned officer. After instructing at the Bombing and Gunnery School at Lethbridge, he was posted to England beginning in November 1943. There, with the Royal Air Force (RAF) he was trained to be a tail gunner on a Lancaster, a four-engine bomber. Later, with a crew of seven, Leonard completed 31 operations in the tail gun turret over Germany and German occupied France and Poland, during May thru August 1944.
Besides the Campaign Medal he was awarded the French “War Cross with Silver Star”. The citation read: “For exceptional combat service rendered during the course of the liberation of France.” His uniform and war medals are on display at the Galt Museum in Lethbridge. His brother, Pte. Ralph Isaacson, also served overseas in the Army.
In 1945, with the rank of Flight Lieutenant, he was posted back to Canada and was discharged in February of 1945. He lived in Lethbridge until his passing on November 23, 2008.
