Local WWII vet marks 105th birthday

A birthday event for Art Leach at Pontiac High School on Saturday, photo provided.

A local World War II veteran celebrated his 105th birthday with members of the community at Pontiac Township High School over the weekend.

Arthur “Art” Leach fought many battles, including Iwo Jima, Okinawa and the Marshall Islands before returning to the U.S. and continuing to serve in the Naval Reserve until 1961.

Saturday’s celebration in the high school gym included bagpipes and a gathering of many in the bleachers.

Leach was born in Illinois back in 1920 on a farm and later studied business at Illinois Wesleyan. It was during this time Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and he knew he had to join the fight so he enlisted in the Navy upon his graduation.

Leach recalled his time serving in the southern Pacific on aircraft carriers during a December interview with Route 24 Radio.

“We got there right after the big shootout at Midway,” he recalled. “Butch O’Hare got killed there and I was supposed to be in his squadron but I got there a little after he left.”

After all these years, Leach still has an interest in flying. He has a good friend in Joliet that has three airplanes, two of which are World War II aircraft and he has flown both of them. There are many stories from Leach’s time in the service.

“We shot 91 enemy aircraft down and they did not shoot one of us from an airplane, however we did lose 31 flyers.”

It is estimated that less than one percent of World War II veterans are still alive with that number estimated to be around 66,000. This was as of December.

The crowd attending Saturday's open house celebration for Art Leach in Pontiac, photo provided.