Michael Krehl has received notification from
the Defense POW MIA Administration that
the remains of his Grandfather,
Sgt Leonard James McNeill,
have been identified.

500th Bomb Group ( Very Heavy )

AIRCRAFT COMMANDER

SERIAL NUMBER

NICKNAME

LAW

44-69666

BOTTELED IN BLONDE

source: Michael Krehl
20 October 2025

Suggested Reading

Much of the information in Case History 111 and
the 1st Lt Edward G Law Crew is not repeated here.

Those sections will provide you with a broader view of what is
within these pages

Following this introduction are:

The telegram that Mrs Melba Margaret McNeill received on 25 April 1945

The Memorial Certificate from the American Battle Monuments Commission

Sgt McNeill's name within the Courts of the Missing
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
Honolulu, Hawaii

The 1st Lt Edward G Law Crew photo

   Time Line

As you browse through these pages you will encounter names of Sgt McNeill's family as well as
those of his wife Melba Margaret Culbreth.
This time line may assist you in keeping dates and people straight.

Michael James Krehl's contributions have made it possible for me to add a personal element
to honor his Grandfather Sgt Leonard James McNeill.

This can be found in the Leonard and Melba section.


Leonard James McNeill was born in Fairview, Prince Edward Island, Canada, on 3 November 1917.
His parents moved to the United States in 1926 and settled in Somerville, Massachusetts.

They were there until at least 1948 which is the last year covered in these pages.
Their three homes were within a few miles of Tufts University, Harvard University, and MIT.

Following graduation from Somerville High School in 1936,
Sgt McNeill worked for a few years.
Likely in early 1938 he travelled to Orlando Florida and
met his future wife Melba.

They were married in Somerville in August 1938
and then moved back to her home town of Orlando.

He registered for the draft in 1940 and was inducted in November 1943.
The Stations section has information about where he was located during his time in the USAAF.

By October 1944 he was at Pyote AAF, Texas, and
this is where he became a member of the 1st Lt Edward G Law crew.
They were a replacement crew and arrived on Saipan
around the middle of February 1945.

Their first combat mission took place early March 1945.
Their B-29, Botteled in Blonde, was shot down over Tokyo 2 April 1945.
Lt Law died in crash and the others survived.
All 10 were taken to Tokyo Kempei Tai Headquarters.
Ray Hopper was released and sent to Omori POW Camp
while the other nine men were transferred to the Tokyo Military Prison.

Some of these details are found in letters that Sgt Ray Hopper
wrote to the crew's family members. These are found in the Letters area of Leonard and Melba.

All nine men died in the Tokyo Fire Raid the night of 25-26 May 1945.
Three of the remains were identified, but Sgt McNeill was not one of them.

Sgt McNeill's grandson, Michael James Krehl,
is on a quest to have the 39 men who died in the
Tokyo Military Prison Fire and whose status
is Non-Recoverable
identified
Honoring Irvin's Memory
is at THE 55 Main page

My thanks go out to the following for their help:

Michael Krehl
Roy Wall
Jim Bowman
Scott Muselin

Ed Lawson
500th Bomb Group Memorial Association

The staff at the St Louis National Archives

Mansell Pacific POW Database

 

WESTERN UNION TELEGRAM
ADDRESSED TO MRS MELBA M MCNEILL
25 APRIL 1945

source: Michael Krehl

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MEMORIAL CERTIFICATE
FROM
AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION

source : American Battle Monuments Commission

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SGT MC NEILL'S NAME IN THE
COURTS OF THE MISSING
PUNCHBOWL CEMETERY
HONOLULU

source : Sherry Harysch

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LAW CREW PHOTO

source: 500th Bomb Group Memorial Association
edited with names corrected 8 October 2020

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