A Missing Piece for a Family of Heroes – WWII Leon M Phelps & Fallen Officer Richard Phelps

Carlisle, PA – Susan Gilbert has been collecting costume jewelry for years – mainly at yard sales in Virginia. Bags of jewelry became boxes as she continued to collect more. While going through her collection, she ran across a silver shiny piece and discovered at closer look that it was an old dog tag.

Thinking she would like to try and return it to the family, she reached out to Sue Quinn-Morris of Patriot Connections Dog Tag Project, a NJ based organization, that has collections of dog tags, from numerous sources, that they have been returning to veterans and their families for over 10 years.

That call paid off, and now this dog tag, belonging to WWII hero Leon M Phelps will soon be reunited with his family, with some help from a PA State Police Officer Mike Spada and members of the Nam Knights of America Motorcycle Club.

Leon Phelps was born on August 5, 1920 and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1941. In 1943, he married Madeleine Strosahl. She was employed by the Civil Service Commission in Washington, while Leon was a Corporal stationed at New River, SC.
According to records he was wounded in action in June 1945 when assigned to COI, 3DBN, 29THMAR, 6THMARDIV, FMF. Fortunately, he recovered from his wounds, received a purple heart and returned to civilian life in 1947, retiring as a Sgt.

Our nations WWII hero, Leon Morgan Phelps died at the young age of 45, on January 5, 1966, in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. Formerly of Wilkes Barre, he and his wife lived on Rosemont Ave in Camp Hill. He was a member of American Legion Post 109 in Mechanicsburg. He is buried at Rolling Green Memorial Park, Camp Hill, PA.

Heroism didnt end with Leon....his son, Richard Phelps, born December 5, 1943, was a U.S Army veteran of the Vietnam war and served with the Lemoyne Borough Police Department for 15 years.

On the night of July 11, 1989, Officer Richard Phelps was working the evening shift and joined in a chase that passed through his borough. During the chase, Officer Phelps ran off the road after entering a curve on Market Street in Camp Hill. He struck a steel barrier at a gas station fuel pump and had to be extracted by the fire department. He succumbed to his injuries and is among his fellow brothers and sisters on the National Law Enforcement Memorial.

At 1pm on April 10, 2021, at the Cumberland County PA Law Enforcement Memorial, Leon Phelp’s granddaughters will be reunited with his dog tag at a Presentations Ceremony in front of their father’s memorial. Members of the Nam Knights of America MC, a law enforcement and veteran motorcycle club, will be riding in from NJ to hand deliver the dog tag. Public is invited to come out for the presentation.