Leo Ambrose Lane was born November 25, 1919, at Cavour in Beadle County, South Dakota, to Jediah and Helen Lane. He had four brothers: Alan, Claire, Maurice, and Gerald, all of whom also served in WW II, and two sisters, Betty and Helen. According to the Aberdeen American News, "Leo, who served in civilian life three years as a railroad telegrapher as his father, J.T. and his grandfather, Jedediah Lane, did before him is well known in Chicago & North Western railroad circles." The article went on to say, "Both his grandfather and father once were in charge of the Mansfield station, J.T. Lane carrying on after his father’s retirement but later moving to Centerville."

Leo Lane entered the service on January 23, 1942, at Great Lakes Training Station in Illinois. He then had advanced training at Seattle, Washington. From October 15, 1942 to May 24, 1944, First Class Radio Mate Leo Lane was stationed in the Pacific theater as part of VGS SQUADRON 21 and later Composite Squadron 38, where he "took part in the raids on Bougainville, the Solomons, and other Jap-held islands and had completed 28 missions over enemy territory," before being sent back to the United States.

On May 24, 1944, First Class Radio Mate Leo Lane was killed in the crash of a Naval bomber when he had "volunteered to go as the fourth man." The plane crashed in a mountainous region near Sequim, Washington, and search parties were unable to get to the site until the following day. It is believed that limited visibility was a factor in the crash. Leo’s father, the depot agent at Centerville, took the message for his own son’s death as it came across the wire.

Leo Lane and his long-time girlfriend, Irene Albrecht, were planning to announce their engagement on the day that Leo was killed. His body was returned to Aberdeen where there was a service at Sacred Heart Church and a military burial followed at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Aberdeen.

This entry was respectfully submitted by Sheila Hansen, Fallen Sons State Coordinator, Spearfish, SD. Information for this entry was provided by an application for a SD veteran’s bonus payment, the Aberdeen American News issues 5/28/44 and 6/2/44, Centerville Journal issue 7/8/44, and the Rapid City Journal issue 6/3/44.