J. Kilian Leidiger
U.S. Army 1943-46
174th ORD Depot
John Leidiger was born Aug. 15, 1923, in Fall Creek, WI. His father, Erich F. Leidiger, was a World War I Veteran. John was inducted into the Army in 1943, and completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. From 1944 to 1946, he served with the 174th Ordnance Depot Company in New Guinea and the Philippines. Although his company never saw combat, their team was proud to win the enlisted men’s Southwest Pacific Volleyball Championship in 1945. Members received certificates signed by General Douglas MacArthur.
After the war, John graduated from the University of Wisconsin, became a CPA, and held various administrative positions with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, retiring in 1990. Before entering the service, John began regularly donating blood to the American Red Cross, and had given nearly 32 gallons when melanoma surgery in 2001 made him ineligible as a donor.
For decades, John treasured seeing old friends at annual Army reunions, always joking, “We win World War II all over again, only it takes fewer of us each year.” John passed away in Madison, WI, on June 30, 2010.
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