Sargeant Major Leon Van Autreve
The military collection at the Delphos Canal Commission provides a history of the Delphos area men and women who have served our country since the Civil War. One of our newest donations is the uniform of retired Command Sargeant Major of the Army, Leon Van Autreve. We thank his wife, Rita, and his brother, Edgar, for this prized donation. Leon was born Jan. 29, 1920, in Belgium and movedwith his family to the United States when he was a young boy. He served with the National Guard as a teenager. Leon enlisted from Delphos in 1941 and served until1945. He then reenlisted in 1948 and served until his retirement in 1975. He reached the highest rank possible for an enlisted man when he was tapped to be the Sgt. Major of the Army in 1973, only the fourth man to attain this rank, and he served in this position until his retirement. The Delphos Canal Museum has a large display of Delphos area military history artifacts and information. The museum is always looking to add to our collections and we encourage you to donate your stories and information.
Printed in the Delphos Herald, May 18, 2013.
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