Leland was born in Medford, Oregon but grew up in Klamath Falls. As a teen he discovered the historic marker of the Freemont trail while on a walk, and this no doubt inspired his lifelong love of treasure hunting and rock hounding. He entered the Air Force after graduating high school and served from 1950 to 1954. Although he never saw action during the Korean War, he did serve in Germany during the occupation. He served as an aircraft mechanic. His claim to fame was his ability to snap pictures of then the largest aircraft a B-35 and the smallest, an F-51 flying alongside one another. He was proud to have served his country. Upon his discharge Leland did everything from carpentry to truck driving. He enjoyed rock collecting, fishing and of course always had a good tale to tell. A special thank you to Tanja and Irene of Heritage Living in Lincoln City, Oregon who helped in making this remembrance happen.