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Leo John Corcoran Jr.

T/5 in 603rd Engineer Camouflage Bn : Co A

ASN#33272248

Born 1921 in PA, Died 2012

Artist

County of residence at enlistment: Erie County, PA
Other residence(s): Erie, PA
United States Army, European Theatre of Operations
Occupation before the war: apprentices to printing trades
Notes: Rank changed from PFC in GA roster to T/5 per 1945 newspaper article
Source: 603rd Camouflage Engineer Roster provided by W. Anderson; 603rd reunion mailing list; Company D With Addresses Roster; photo courtesy Ancestry®

Leo Corcoran was born on July 20, 1921 in Erie, PA, the middle of three children. His father was a driver for a bakery, later a wholesale bakery salesman, and finally a bakery supervisor.

Leo grew up in Erie and graduated from Academy High School in 1938. The 1940 census categorizes him as a "new worker," but by the time he registered for the draft, on February 16, 1942, he was working in an engraving plant. He enlisted on June 16, 1942, with his occupation listed as "apprentices to printing trades." His artistic skills got him assigned to the 603rd Engineer Camouflage Battalion and he served in Europe with the unit during the war. He was discharged with the rank of T/5 on October 12, 1945 at Camp Shelby, MS.

Returning to Erie, he took up lithography work. In 1948, he was listed as an apprentice at US Printing and Lithograph in Erie, and by 1950 he was listed in the census as a litho artist. Erie city directories in the 1950s described him as "artist" and later as "retoucher." US Printing and Lithograph was known for the beautiful posters they produced for Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circuses as well as other organizations. According to John Vanco, former director of the Erie Art Museum, they were "beautiful works of art made in the heyday of color lithography."

Sometime before 1950, Leo married Helen Garlow, and they became the parents of a daughter, Jane, born in 1955.

Leo would remain with US Printing and Lithograph until his retirement. His obituary describes him as an "accomplished lithographer," but goes on to say that he was also "a gifted artist, with great detail to his creations."

After he retired, Leo exhibited his art at several shows in Erie. He received an honorable mention at the Independent Council on Aging Senior Art Exhibit, a 1991 juried show, for a work entitled "Rockport, Mass." And, at the same show in 1996, he received the grand prize for a pencil drawing entitled "My Granddaughter."

Leo died on October 28, 2012, in Erie, and is buried at Erie Cemetery. His gravestone mentions the 603rd, and includes a small palette and brush carved into the stone.

Sources:

1930 census

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/51312285:6224?ssrc=pt&tid=59100524&pid=340137209135

1940 census

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/22045924:2442?ssrc=pt&tid=59100524&pid=340137209135

1942 draft card

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/7231437:2238?ssrc=pt&tid=59100524&pid=340137209135

1942 enlistment record

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/4200607:8939?ssrc=pt&tid=59100524&pid=340137209135

1945 article in the Erie Daily Times (PA) about his military service

https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/newspapers/image/v2%3A147234526FE5DB7B%40GB3NEWS-170B8A5C410F12DB%402431655-170B54AF77FD0B3E%404-170B54AF77FD0B3E%40?h=30&fname=LEO&lname=COrcoran&fullname=&rgfromDate=1934&rgtoDate=2012&formDate=&formDateFlex=exact&dateType=range&kwinc=&kwexc=&page=1&sid=vaedhmxjhidgcmekimldrboyaodcudlp_ip-10-166-46-73_1723322133115

1948 Erie PA city directory

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/139826081:2469?tid=&pid=&queryId=bdc80624-54a1-4746-8138-821fb1109fdd&_phsrc=yLv9&_phstart=successSource

1950 Pennsylvania WW2 veteran compensation file

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/938232:3147?tid=&pid=&queryId=1c427149-2940-445a-956d-0797e928c762&_phsrc=KBB1&_phstart=successSource

1950 census

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/237585809:62308?tid=&pid=&queryId=fb4091f0-7257-467e-9305-cabe1425f597&_phsrc=yLv3&_phstart=successSource

1952 Erie PA city directory

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/139915748:2469?tid=&pid=&queryId=79e02caa-6440-4898-8153-5b5451393421&_phsrc=yLv7&_phstart=successSource

1955 article in the Erie Daily Times (PA) about the birth of his daughter

https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/newspapers/image/v2%3A147234526FE5DB7B%40GB3NEWS-1714404BB22B8DC2%402435287-1712381768458574%403-1712381768458574%40?h=42&fname=LEO&lname=COrcoran&fullname=&rgfromDate=1934&rgtoDate=2012&formDate=&formDateFlex=exact&dateType=range&kwinc=&kwexc=&page=2&sid=vaedhmxjhidgcmekimldrboyaodcudlp_ip-10-166-46-73_1723322133115

1960 Erie PA city directory

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1196058738:2469?tid=&pid=&queryid=731aa4a2-19b1-4a4e-bdd8-84c1121406a4&_phsrc=yLv5&_phstart=successSource

1991 article in the Morning News (Erie PA) about an art prize he won

https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/newspapers/image/v2%3A14721FCC0C40169F%40GB3NEWS-1732D445AEC1BABB%402448379-173268738429E482%4051-173268738429E482%40?h=26&fname=LEO&lname=COrcoran&fullname=&rgfromDate=1934&rgtoDate=2012&formDate=&formDateFlex=exact&dateType=range&kwinc=&kwexc=&page=1&sid=vaedhmxjhidgcmekimldrboyaodcudlp_ip-10-166-46-73_1723322133115

1996 article in the Erie Daily Times (PA) about an art prize he won

https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/newspapers/image/v2%3A147234526FE5DB7B%40GB3NEWS-173BAE2E6E3A4CBB%402450213-173BA622C6377B60%4059-173BA622C6377B60%40?h=18&fname=LEO&lname=COrcoran&fullname=&rgfromDate=1934&rgtoDate=2012&formDate=&formDateFlex=exact&dateType=range&kwinc=&kwexc=&page=1&sid=vaedhmxjhidgcmekimldrboyaodcudlp_ip-10-166-46-73_1723322133115

2012 Social Security death index

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/92967967:3693?ssrc=pt&tid=59100524&pid=340137209135

2012 Find a Grave record

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/113409648/leo-john-corcoran

2012 obituary in the Erie Times-News (PA)

https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/newspapers/image/v2%3A147234526FE5DB7B%40GB3NEWS-190910610FA24712%402456232-1906D76633392A1A%4012-1906D76633392A1A%40?h=3&fname=LEO&lname=COrcoran&fullname=&rgfromDate=1934&rgtoDate=2012&formDate=&formDateFlex=exact&dateType=range&kwinc=&kwexc=&sid=vaedhmxjhidgcmekimldrboyaodcudlp_ip-10-166-46-73_1723322133115

2017 article about the kinds of artwork US Printing and Lithograph produced

https://www.goerie.com/story/news/local/2017/01/24/erie-company-once-made-ringling/21885895007/

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