Leonard Earl Outlaw
Chief Petty Officer
USCG BASSWOOD (WLB388), 7TH FLEET
United States Coast Guard
Grandy, North Carolina
December 19, 1936 to March 23, 1972
LEONARD E OUTLAW is on the Wall at Panel W3, Line 52

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Leonard E Outlaw
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During the Vietnam War there was no overriding reason to keep close track of names of the men and women who died as a result of military service in the war zone. A decade after the withdrawal of US forces, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was approved for construction. The service branches went back through their records to identify our dead by name.

Inevitably some men who should have been named on the "Wall" were not. Over the years additional names have been inscribed on the Wall - some were men who died after the war as a result of wounds received in the war or from disease or illness, and others were men whose names were overlooked in earlier years.

The Department of Defense approved having his name etched on the Wall during May 2016, along with 7 other names. His name was etched as close to the names as possible of those who died the same day where space was found to add his name. These are the 8 men who were added to the memorial this year:

LCPL Jeffrey R. Barber, Panel 21W Row 001
PFC Michael G. Frey, Panel 21W Row 115
LCPL Chester A. Lederhouse Jr, Panel 19E Row 125
SP4 James S. McGough, Panel 04W Row 045
CPO Leonard E. Outlaw, Panel 03W Row 052
PFC Lee A. Rawn, Panel 16E Row 056
SP5 Jimmy L. Smith, Panel 17W Row 092
LCPL John D. Stenhouse, Panel 58W Row 010

CPO Leonard Earl Outlaw, the son of Mary and Altis Bateman Outlaw was born in Bertie North Carolina. He later resided in Grandy North Carolina.

A Korean War Veteran and Vietnam War Veteran, he was the 1st husband to Viola Kathleen (Rogers) Outlaw. They were married in Currituck, North Carolina in 1953. It does not appear they had any children.

CPO Outlaw served as the Chief Engineman on the United States Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Basswood. On 24 March, the ship returned to port at Cam Rahn Bay and called for an ambulance due to possible heart attack by Chief Outlaw. They arrived at 11:16 hours with a second ambulance arriving shorly after the first. At 11:50 hours, Chief Outlaw was pronounced dead from a heart attack.

The ships colors were lowered to half mast and at 12:10 hours, the Docter, Corpsman, and ambulances departed the ship, taking Chief Outlaw's body to graves registration.

In addition to the medals above, he was awarded the United Nations Service Medal for Korea (UNKM), Republic of Korea War Service Medal (ROKWSM), and United States Coast Guard Ribbons with Devices.

UNMK Medal
UNKM
ROKWarServiceMedal
ROKWSM

He was survived by his wife Viola, his parents, Mary Frances Hayman Outlaw (1914-2007) and Altis Bateman Outlaw (1901-1984) and may have been survived by his older brother William. He is buried at Austin Cemetery, Kitty Hawk, Dare County, North Carolina.

Leonard E Outlaw


- - The Virtual Wall, June 19, 2016

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