Leslie Sullivan Morrison was a young man of 19 when he was drafted for his country in January 1943. He was assigned to a supply unit attached to the 29th Infantry Regiment, where he had the opportunity to operate a bazooka. Despite making the mistake of shooting it at a target within 3 feet, he eventually became a professional military occupation in the U.S. Army and was appointed as a qualified sniper with the rank of M1 MM 154.
After working for Dix in Fort, New Jersey, Leslie was sent to Europe where he landed in Liverpool, England around June to July 1943. He then proceeded to Ireland and Scotland where his force joined other Allied forces. They were then escorted over the White Cliffs of Dover en route to the Normandy coast, where Leslie specifically landed on Omaha Beach.
After the soldiers broke through following D-Day, Leslie’s military career continued in Belgium and finally to the German Rhineland, where he was present when VE Day arrived and the Germans surrendered. He was discharged in November 1945 and was awarded various medals, including the European, African and Middle Eastern Meritorious Service Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.
Upon returning to the United States, Leslie worked at Dunkirk’s Demon Motors for 10 years before switching over to the US Postal Service for 30 years. He married his high school sweetheart Ruthan Dyckman in August 1946, and the couple raised two children, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren together.
Leslie Morrison will be celebrating his 100th birthday this June, and although he loves watching the deer in his backyard and taking in the incredible view of Manhattan, he is also an avid hockey fan. On Memorial Day, he will participate in the parade along Lake Shore Drive in Dunkirk, commemorating his service during WWII.