Leslie Osman Gates
T/5 in 3133rd Signal Service Co
Born 1924 in IL, Died 2019
Other residence(s): Kankakee, IL; Big Spring, TX; La Verne, CA; Clarksville, AR
United States Army, European Theatre of Operations
Occupation before the war: student
College education before the war: Hardin Simmons Univ.
Leslie Gates was born on March 22, 1924 in Kankakee, IL, the younger of two sons. His father was a postal carrier. He graduated from Kankakee High School in 1942, and registered for the draft a few months after his 18th birthday, on June 29, 1942. He attended Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, TX for one semester before enlisting in the Army. He was assigned to the 3132 Signal Service Company but came down with appendicitis before the unit went overseas, so was reassigned to the 3133rd. He served in Italy with the unit during the war.
After returning home, he worked with his older brother George in a grocery business in Big Spring, TX. He married Arlene King, a nurse, on October 13, 1946 in Kankakee, and the young couple settled in Big Spring. Their first child, a daughter, Terry, was born in Texas. But by 1950 they were back in Kankakee; Leslie was selling appliances and Arlene was working as a nurse in a local hospital. Their second daughter, Anita, was born in Illinois.
Leslie's career after that is not known, but his obituary reports that "he followed his musical interests as a trombone player with many musical groups, including military bands, concert bands, symphony orchestras, dance bands" and other groups.
Interestingly enough, Leslie's brother George also had musical interests—he served as the director of bands for the Richardson (TX) Independent School District.
At some point after 1955, Leslie and his family relocated to La Verne, CA a city east of Los Angeles. Arlene worked in Pomona as a nurse at the state hospital for the developmentally disabled until she retired. In retirement, the couple relocated to Clarksville, AR.
Arlene died in 2010 and Leslie died on February 3, 2019 in Clarksville. The couple both donated their bodies to the University of Arkansas medical school.
Sources:
1942 draft card
1946 marriage announcement in The Pantagraph (Bloomington IL)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/69088123/?match=1&terms=leslie%20gates
1950 census
1968 daughter's engagement announcement (shows them living in California)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/64941291/?match=1&terms=leslie%20o.%20gates
2010 wife's Find a Grave record (includes obituary)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/196611484/arlene_laverne_gates
2019 Find a Grave record (includes obituary)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/196611101/leslie-osman-gates