Leon Kent, hero who stopped German tanks during Battle of the Bulge, dies in California at 99
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Leon Kent, who led a group of American soldiers that knocked out five German tanks and held up the enemy advance during the Battle of the Bulge, has died. He was 99.
His family tells the Los Angeles Times (http://lat.ms/17gLdIM ) that Kent had pneumonia and died on Feb. 12 in Beverly Hills.
Kent was an Army lieutenant in December 1944 when he was ordered to stop the advancing tanks in Belgium. His battery wasn't trained in anti-tank warfare and had only an anti-aircraft gun.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Nevertheless, Kent and his three soldiers destroyed five tanks in two hours and were credited with helping prevent a major German breakthrough in Belgium, allowing retreating Allied troops to regroup.
The four soldiers received Silver Stars, although Kent's wasn't delivered until 1998 because of lost paperwork.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com/