Leonard James McNeill

Leonard James McNeill was born November 3, 1917, at Prince Edward Island, Canada. He is the son of Seymour and Margaret McNeill and the brother of Duncan and Melva. Leonard and his family moved to Boston, Massachusetts in 1926. He finished his education in the Somerville Public Schools and received his diploma in 1936. He assumed a position with S.S. Pierce Co., a food service business that was ultimately acquired by Kraft Foods. Having earned enough money to purchase a 1929 Oldsmobile Coupe', Leonard McNeill was Inspired to change the world and impact millions of lives. It seemed to him that Florida would be a likely location for the success he was seeking. He arrived in Orlando, Florida in 1937.

In Orlando, Leonard found employment at the Greentree Diner where he met Melba Culbreth, the daughter of Jimmy and Florence Culbreth. Jimmy Culbreth had worked with Southern Bell Telephone Company from the Early 1900’s. Florence Culbreth was born in the city of Lawtey, Florida, where her father, Mr. George Carter, had been instrumental in establishing the township during the 1800's.

Shortly after arriving in Orlando, Leonard met Mr. Jack Holloway who ran a successful lounge at one of Orlando’s most prestigious hotels. Holloway offered Leonard a position of bartender and he was employed from Mr. Sweetman at the Angebilt TapRoom 11 Wall Street. This started his career in the hospitality industry, and, despite an inevitable war, the two men began to plan a partnership for the future. Unfortunately, the promising plans would be changed after Leonard received his notice of induction into the army.

Leonard and Melba Married in Aug. 1938 and began a family life with three children Paul Edward, Dorothy Ann, and Melvin James. Leonard was drafted, and on November 17, 1943, he would report to Camp Blanding, Florida for induction into the Army. His basic training was in Miami, Florida, and Gunnery training throughout the Midwest and Texas. Leonard was Trained as a B-29 Superfortress Tail Gunner and with an 11-man crew embarked from Kearney, Nebraska February 14, 1945. The crew arrived at Saipan Island in the Mariana's February 25, 1945. Leonard’s crew performed incendiary bombing missions from March 4TH until April 2, 1945, receiving a commendation for those missions. On Easter morning 1945 the B-29 Z square 11 was caught in search lights while flying over Tokyo. The B-29 was struck with flak several times putting the aircraft into an uncontrollable condition. Aircraft commander, Lt. Law ordered the men to abandon ship, as the aircraft began its final descent 10 men safely parachuted to the ground near Tokyo Japan. After Leonard was captured, he was taken to the Kempeitai headquarters across the street from the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan. While imprisoned at the Kempeitai the B-29 airmen were treated as suspected War Criminals due to the indiscriminate incendiary bombing missions they had performed killing more than 100,000 Japanese occupants of various cities during the March Fire Blitz on Japan. During the time at Kenpeitai, Leonard and the other Airmen confined in the pig pin and other animal stalls would receive beatings with sticks and other weapons along with psychological distress and starvation. Inasmuch as the men were declared criminals some were given a sentence of death and were decapitated.

Sometime in early May,1945, a number of American Airmen were taken from Kempeitai headquarters and relocated for internment at Tokyo Military Prison, Tokyo, Japan. (TMP). Leonard is one of the men in the group taken to TMP and confined in Cell Block#4. On the night of May 26, 1945, Cell Block#4 was struck with incendiary bombs killing several of the airmen. About 30 men escaped the flaming cells and began making their way out of the apocalyptic event. They were attacked by sword wielding jailers who cut the men down, until all American Airmen were dead. The bodies of the men were dumped into an incomplete bomb shelter.

At war’s end, while occupying forces were investigating the action, a conspiracy to cover the crime was discovered. The Yokohama T-078 War Crimes trial revealed a list of 62 American Airmen believed to have been killed at TMP. Remains of 25 men were identified leaving 37 men from the list of 62 as unidentified. Sgt. Leonard James McNeill is on the list of 37 unidentified. But the death of Sgt. McNeill would not be the only tragedy. The end of the war would bring a plethora of loss and sadness, still being experienced seven decades later.

As World War II came to an end, Orlando, Florida would never be the same. My grandmother Melba McNeill and our family had realized the death of three of our finest men: Jacksonville Florida Cousin, Charles Gross (Bootsy) MIA/KIA Killed December 24, 1944. Bootsy received a Bronze Star for actions while liberating Europe and two Purple Heart Decorations. Bootsy joined the Army in March of 1941. He was MIA until 1948. Winter Park Florida Uncle, William Mashburn (Billy) Joined the Army early in 1941 he was a fine musician as he had a place training Filipino soldiers while stationed in Manilla. After surviving the Bataan Death March Billy died at POW camp Cabanatuan in 1942, he remains MIA today and is believed to be identifiable.

Orlando Florida continued to be our family’s home and as I was born there in 1963, it was not until 2016 that our family became aware of the tragic sacrifices made by those of us who have silently endured the MIA status.

In 2018 The McNeill family provided the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, DPAA with the necessary DNA family reference samples that would identify the commingled remains of Leonard from a mix of several hundred pounds of skeletal remains collected from the Tokyo Military Prison Site in Tokyo Japan.

In October of 2025 our family received notification that the DPAA has identified the remains of Sgt. Leonard James McNeill. Accounted for!

Leonard is a father to our family, a stepfather, a father-in-law, an uncle, a grandfather and a great as well as a great great and a great great great grandfather. His children and their children are. Paul, Dorothy Ann, Melvin, Suzi, Billy, Jeannine, Kathi, Eileen, William, Jeri, Michael, Kelly, Jimmie, Michael, Rhianna, Faith, Bonnie, Holly, Jessey, Carina, Angelica, Alexandra, Arianna, Annabella, Morgan, Liana, Leila, Maverick, Salem, Alexa, Trey, Isla, Callen, Beau, Cruz, James, David, Ross, Chad, Kyle, Kaylee, Kelsey, Grant, Delaney, Hunter, River, Violet, Joel, Brooke, Riley, Aspen, and Jaxson.

Please Join us in honoring the life of our American Hero.