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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Sponsor

Honored by:
Andrew M Jergens

Leonard Charles Richardson was born 13 March 1930 at Omaha NE.
On 11 August 1948 he entered the U.S. Air Force, service No. AF19322524, and served nine years until 10 August 1957, attaining the rank of Technical Sergeant. He was awarded the US Air Force Good Conduct Medal with 3 knots, National Defense Service medal, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Korean Medal, a Korea Unit Citation, and a Presidential Unit Citation. His MOS was that of flight engineer and aircraft maintenance. He was expert at the servicing of the F-80, F-84A thru F, F-86 (except K), F-102A, T-33, T-28. He flew on the A-26, B-25, C-45, C-46, C-47, C-54. His unit was the 5th AF, 334 Fighter Squadron interceptor, 4th Fighter Group of 4th Wing; and the 326 Fighter Squadron of the Central Air Defense Command.
Stationed at Kimpo Air Base (K-14), a highlight for him was the morning of 21 September 1953, when No Kum-sok, a senior lieutenant in the Korean People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force, flew his Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 Nose 2057 from Sunan just outside Pyongyang to the Kimpo Air Base in South Korea. As Leonard was serving as a line chief, he was among the first Americans to reach the MiG and lay hands on it. Many years later, he was thrilled to see that same MiG aircraft in the National Museum of the USAF at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton OH.
Leonard died 1 Jan 2014 at Edmonds, WA, and is buried at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, WA.