Date of birth:

November 12th, 1913 (Melbourne/Arkansas, United States)

Date of death:

October 6th, 2006 (El Dorado/Arkansas, United States)

Service number:

O-369139

Nationality:

American

Gardner Hayden Landers was born in Melbourne, Arkansas, November 12th, 1913, the son of Nell Gardner Landers and Jeffrey Hayden Landers. He graduated from Melbourne High School and earned a Bachelor of Science in Medical Sciences at Arkansas University in Little Rock. He started working at Hurley Hospital in Flint, Michigan.

From November 25th, 1940 to January 5th, 1945, Landers served as Corps Surgeon with XV Corps and participated, among others , in the invasion of Normandy on Omaha Beach. He left for Europe on April 6th, 1944, arriving April 20th. He returned to the US on September 19th, 1945, arriving on September 20th.

After the war he went to work in Gill Memorial Hospital in Roanoke, Virginia.

He married Frances Maschal Landers February 7, 1942 in Brownsville Texas were he was stationed with the 102nd Ambulance Company. They settled in El Dorado Arkansas after Word War ll in 1948, where he practiced Ophthalmology till he retired in 1989.

In 1977, he and Frances and their sons, Dr. James Landers and Dr. William Landers, began biannual medical missions to Leogane, Haiti, where they performed thousands of cataract surgeries to benefit the poor in that area. In 1981, they founded Haiti Education Foundation and raised monies to build and support some 35 schools in the southern mountains of Haiti. For 40 years this grass roots organization has continued their work providing an education and nourishing meals for tens of thousands of Haitian children, who otherwise would have remained illiterate and hungry.

They were married until his death October 6, 2006. Frances Landers continued her travels to Haiti as the leader of the foundation until she was 91 years old. She died September 10, 2010.

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Lieutenant Colonel

Unit:

Medical Section, HQ, XV Corps, U.S. Army

Awarded on:

1945

Recommendation:
"For meritious service as Medical Inspector and Operations Officer in the Medical Section during the period 25 July 1944 to 9 May 1945 in operations of the XV Corps. Lieutenant Colonel LANDERS by his devotion to duty, good judgment, and prompt action in the directing of Corps medical activities during the period has exerted a noteworthy part in the efficient use of the Medical Service of the Corps."

Recommended on May 15th, 1945.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Lieutenant Colonel

Unit:

Medical Section, HQ, XV Corps, U.S. Army

Recommended on August 3rd, 1945.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Received with four bronze campaign stars for "NORMANDY", "NORTHERN FRANCE", "RHINELAND" and "CENTRAL EUROPE".

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

• Photo 1: Familie
• - Michael R. Landers
  - APO 436 U.S. Army, 15th May 1945, 3rd August 1945
  - Obituary, National Obituary Archive
  - Certificate of Service