page_title: Leonard C. Brostrom
section_title: Leyte
hierarchical_section_title: Leonard C. Brostrom / Biography / Military service / Leyte
context_page_description: Leonard C. Brostrom was a United States Army infantry soldier who was killed in action near Dagami, Leyte, Philippine Islands, now the Republic of the Philippines, during the Philippines Campaign of 1944–45, in World War II. He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his heroic actions above and beyond the call of duty. Brostrom was a member of and served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before he entered the Army.
context_section_description: Leyte, the third-largest island of the Philippines, was invaded by the 7th Infantry Division on October 20, 1944. Brostrom in Company F, 2nd Battalion, 17th Infantry, attacked from the center, driving down the Dulag–Burauen Road.  Within 48 hours, they had captured San Pablo, Burauen, and Bayug Airfield.
  On October 27, 1944, the 17th Infantry took the strong points south of the town of Dagami.  At 7:30 AM, 0730 hours in military time, Brostrum, "a lead scout" with F Company, struck out on the left flank of the attack. Their job with the rest of the 2nd Battalion was to envelop Dagami from the American left to pin and destroy Japanese Army resistance in the town.  
  Brostrom with the lead assault platoon of F Company encountered "withering fire from pillboxes, trenches, and enemy spider holes". The Japanese soldiers were well entrenched and camouflaged. Enemy fields of fire were well calculated with criss-crossing machine gun bunkers supported by infantry in trenches. Pfc. Brostrom was hit by enemy weapon fire three times as he fought his way through a bamboo thicket that was part of the enemy line. Brostrom dashed to the rear of a large enemy machine gun bunker/pillbox.  During his charge from the bamboo thicket, he was visible not only to the rest of his rifle company, but to the Japanese riflemen shooting at him as well. As he threw several grenades into the bunker, six Japanese infantrymen charged with fixed bayonets. Brostrom was able to kill one soldier and wound others, causing them to retreat.  Brostrom was hit a fourth time and fell to the ground. Again, in view of the Americans and Japanese soldiers, he rose to his feet and assaulted the bunker with grenades and rifle fire. The Japanese soldiers ran out of the bunker as Brostrom fell seriously wounded.
  Staff Sergeant Paul Doty and Pfc's Howard J. Evans and Eldridge V. Sorenson, who had caught up with Brostrom by this time, killed many of the fleeing enemy and called for a company medic. Brostrom was carried to the aid station but succumbed to his wounds.
  During the same combat action and period, Pfc. John F. Thorson, from G Company, 2nd Battalion, 17th Infantry, attacked an enemy trench with his BAR and was within twenty feet when he was seriously wounded. The rest of Thorson's platoon rushed forward sweeping the enemy from the trench line. An enemy grenade landed nearby, Thorson rolled on top of it to protect his buddies and was killed instantly.
  Pfc. Brostrom, F Company, is one of the only two members of the 17th Infantry to have received the Medal of Honor for their actions in combat during the war. The other was Thorson from G Company.
  Brostrom is buried in the Preston Cemetery.
caption: Invasion of Leyte map, October 1944
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