Captain Daniel Bruce “Danny” Leake Jr. USAF ‘48
Air Medal
Daniel Bruce “Danny” Leake, Jr. was born in San Lorenzo, New Mexico on 29 January 1923, son of Mr. and Mrs. D.B. Leake, Sr. His was a pioneer Grant County family where his father was involved in mining. He graduated from Hurley High School and attended NMAMC in 1942-43 before enlisting in the Army Air Forces. In 1942 he married Mary Ellen Sears of Silver City with whom he had a son. He served in World War II with at least part of those years as a single engine fighter pilot. He received the Air Medal for his part in long range fighter escort missions against the Japanese homeland. He re-entered NMAMC after the war and in February 1948 married Betty Marie Burks of Las Cruces. The couple lived in Las Cruces while Danny completed his mechanical engineering studies at the college. After graduating in June of 1948, he reentered the USAF and was subsequently assigned as a fighter pilot to the Army of Occupation in Japan and then to Clark AFB in the Philippines.
His wife returned to the United States from the Philippines on September 2, 1950 due to the start of the Korean War. Captain Leake was then assigned to the 67th Fighter Bomber Squadron, 18th Fighter Bomber Wing operating out of Pusan South Korea. By October 1950 the allied advance out of the Pusan Perimeter, that began in mid-September, had crossed the 38th parallel and was on the verge of Pyongyang, capital of North Korea.
In just a few weeks they would reach the Yalu River. On October 18, 1950, while on a close air ground support combat mission in North Korea, his P-51D aircraft received a direct hit by anti-aircraft fire. His Mustang was being flown at maximum speed when it was hit, and the fabric control surfaces were seen by his wingman to have been shot away. Unfortunately, Captain Leake was at too low an altitude when he cleared the Mustang, and his parachute just had time to blossom as he hit the ground with high impact. He was picked up by an air-rescue team, but died from his injuries. He was survived by his wife, Betty Marie Leake.
He is buried in the Mountain View Cemetery in Deming NM. Captain Daniel B. “Danny” Leake was 27 years of age at the time he gave his life in service to his country.