From a newspaper cutting.

Marine Hero in Isle Raid
Milwaukie Woman Mother of Officer
Lieutenant Alan Gordon leslie of Milwaukie, one of theheroic group o f marine
flame throwers of whom two thirds gave their lives to burnthe japane se from
their pillboxes on Tarawa, is the son of Mrs M L Smith anda brothe r of Lotta
Raley, both of Milwaukie. First Lieutenant Leslie was oneof the firs t flame
throwers to reach Tarawa. Moving directly into the face ofenemy mach ine guns
he reached his objective and wilted defenders andbarricades alike wi th a
searing blast from his'hot' weapon. In one attack his boatwas sunk u nder him
and his flame thrower lost. He swam four miles to reachanother craf t, was
reequipped and later wiped out three pillboxes. He lickedodds of 10- 1 he would
be killed in raiding the main Jap pier and blowing up oildrums and t he end of
the pier.
"Rough Deal' encountered.
In a letter written to his mother he said the 'really roughdeal' the y ran into
in the Gilberts was not one he cared to talk about.
'Those of us who came out OK are immeasurably thankful toGod and th e ones who
must have prayed for us. I guess he couldn't possibly lookafter ever yone, for
I left some very fine boys on Tarawa and it is to these theAmerica n people owe
a great debt. We in the marine corps know that without thesupreme s acrifice
these men made, victory would have been impossible.
Lieutenant Leslie, who was wounded in the action, wasjumped from pri vate to
lieutenant in seven months. Born in Vancouver BC, he waseducated i n Milwaukie
and was in the electrical business in Portland and Seattlebefore joi ning the
marines in May 1942.

PEDI birth