Signed Photo of Colonel Leon W. Johnson. WWII

Though we often read of acts of heroism, it is difficult to really understand them. The military biography web site Maxwell AFB and Gunter Annex provides a brief description of the factors surrounding Johnson's Medal of Honor:

"After being delayed 20 minutes by enroute weather, his group arrived over the Initial Point to find their assigned objective had been bombed in error by another group. Despite having lost the critical element of surprise, and with an inferno of burning oil tanks and a wall of flak in front of them, Colonel Johnson led his bombers to attack the installation. As a result of the hazards and heavy defenses, the 44th lost two-thirds of its original 37 aircraft launched, and almost one-third of the entire strike force failed to return. Of the five men awarded the Medal of Honor for this raid, Leon Johnson was one of only two recipients to return from Ploesti."

Near fine.

From the personal collection of Major General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Jr., which includes World War II mementoes of his late father General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Sr. and late father-in-law Major General Leon W. Johnson. Please see the other lots in this eBay Live Auctions catalog for more items from the Vandenberg collection.