Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to remove references to Leon Dixon as the last Black WWI veteran in Louisiana and to fix the name Dixon throughout. We apologize for the errors.
NEW ROADS, La. (BRPROUD) – A World War II veteran and Louisiana native passed away. Leon Dixon was 104 years old.
“He got three battle medals under his name,” said Marvin Dixon, Leon Dixon’s son.
Leon Dixon was Louisiana’s oldest Black World War II veteran, a father, and a pioneer in the Pointe Coupee Parish community.
“He went out of his way to do it out of the kindness of his heart. He [saw] you need help with your kids or family. He went on and took care of that for you, and you didn’t have to worry about a thing,” said Leon’s son Roger Dixon.
According to his son Marvin, Leon was a searchlight commander who was responsible for five men and served for five years in the army. Marvin says it was one of Leon’s greatest accomplishments.
“He was faithful in his service and I can recall him telling me stories,” said Leon’s son Marvin Dixon.
Not only did he represent what it meant to be a soldier but he was also a dedicated Christian and father.
“That favorite memory is when he accepted Christ into his life and was Baptist and started joining the church,” Marvin said while smiling.
His children say three words that describe him best were honest, caring, and disciplined. They say they will keep his memory alive by being the man he was.
The wake service will be Friday at Williams H. Scott Civic Center at 4 p.m. The legacy of a 104-year-old WWII Veterans funeral will be this Saturday at 1:00 pm.
