Sergeant First Class Leon was a veteran of World War II. In Korea, he was a member of the Military Police Company, 187th Airborne Infantry Regimental Combat Team. He died of other causes on 19 August 1953 at the Kumhwa Valley, North Korea.

Class Leon was awarded the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean War Service Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.