The 35th Infantry Regiment Association salutes our fallen brother, PFC Leland Stanford Bland, who died in the service of his country on January 13th, 1943 in Guadalcanal. The cause of death was listed as MIA-KIA. At the time of his death Leland was 21 years of age. He was from Kanawha County, West Virginia.

The decorations earned by PFC Leland Stanford Bland include: the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Asiatic-Pacific Service Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.

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Leland was single and a farmer in civilian life. Leland is listed on Tablets on the Missing at Manila Cemetery.

He was in the 3rd Platoon, 1st Squad of Fox Co.

Leland is still officially carried as an MIA. Leland was wounded in action while fighting on Guadalcanal. He, along with 7 other soldiers, were put on C-47 #41-18573 for a medical evacuation to Efate Island, Shefa Province, Vanuatu.

C-47 #41-18573, after taking off from Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands to Efate Island, Shefa Province, Vanuatu, never arrived at their destination and are assumed to have crashed at sea for an unknown reason during the war

Airmen who perished on C-47 #41-18573:

Allen, Neal ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, GA
Nelson, Louis W ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, CA
Rinaldi, John ~ M/Sgt, Crew Chief, NY
Saltsman, Ralph L ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, CA
Stratton, James S ~ Corp, Radio Operator, MS

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Passengers who perished on C-47 #41-18573:

Bland, Leland S ~ Pfc, WV
Cote, Maurice F ~ Pvt, MA
Isom, John P ~ Pvt, AL
Jecker, Joseph E ~ Pfc, MA
Ruth, Harold C ~Pvt, CA
Sharrock, Jack A ~ Corp, NE
Shrewsbury, Ernest F ~ Pvt, PA
St John, Fred J ~ Pvt, CT

( Bio and Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )