Leonard R. Farron. Photo by Eileen Albert McKee
A member of the Puyallup Tribe of Washington who left home to serve in World War II has finally returned. Leonard R. Farron was declared killed in action after flying in a mission over the Pacific Ocean in October 1942. But his body was never recovered so his family never had closure. That finally changed when the military contacted the family late last year and asked for a DNA sample from one of Farron's cousins. The results confirmed that their long-lost loved one would finally be coming home. “It was one of the biggest fears in World War II,” Frankie McCloud, another cousin, told The Tacoma News-Tribune. “Your kid’s not coming back.” The tribe held a ceremony last Wednesday in Farron's honor. He was laid to rest in the Cushman Cemeter alongside his parents, The Tacoma Weekly reported. “The main thing is that he's home at last. That's just so powerful for the family," Cindy LeCompte, who provided the DNA sample to the military, told the Weekly. Farron enlisted in the the Army Air Corps in April 1941 so it's been 75 years since he was last seen at home. He was 27 years old at the time of his declared death in 1942. Get the Story:
World War II pilot from Tacoma comes home 73 years later (The Tacoma News-Tribune 5/7)
1st Lt. Leonard Farron returned home nearly 75 years after his death (The Tacoma Weekly 5/5)
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