Beech Tree News Network

Leonard  never came home. Leonard  went home. 

Some years back I told you the story of Leonard Wilkins. Leonard  went to Graham High School in Muhlenberg, County. Leonard  was Graham’s basketball manager; he was too short to play on the team. At times he would help out the cheerleaders, wearing his blue sweater with the big white G (for Graham High School.) “Little Leonard ,” the kids called him. 

Leonard  graduated in 1941 and joined the U.S. Navy shortly after World War Two began. 

Who knows? Maybe Leonard  had a short man syndrome and wanted to show he was as big as anybody. He joined the US Submarine School at New London, Connecticut and went to sea as a member of the U.S.S. Trigger. Some time later, the Trigger was depth-charged by an enemy destroyer. It sank with all crew members off the southwest coast of Japan. 

Meanwhile, his widowed mother, Mrs. Lucy Wilkens, moved to Greenville, just a block or so from the Greenville Depot. There was a train that stopped at four o’clock in the afternoon and one that ran at twelve o’clock at night. 

Miss Lucy, as she was known, never gave up hope that Leonard  would come home. Sbe walked down and met the four o’ clock train for years. Her house lights would never go out until the midnight train ran each night, thinking her baby boy Leonard  could be on it. He wasn’t. 

Lost forever? No. Years later, not too long back, the U.S.S. Trigger’s remains were discovered, resting on the bottom of the sea off the coast of Japan. Nothing was said about human remains, if there were any. 

Leonard never came home...he went home. 

Kindest Regards...