Lou Diamond - Early Years

Early Years

Diamond was born Leland Sanford Diamond, May 30, 1890, in Bedford, Ohio. His parents, Herbert Caleb Diamond (1864–1932) and Mima Ellenor (1866–1921), were Canadians from Belleville, Ontario. His father was the youngest of the famed Diamond Brothers of the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP), who served in the Red Deer District of Alberta in the 1880s. He was descended from the Hudson River Valley Algonquin-Mohican Diamond family of the pre-American-Revolution era. His ancestors were United Empire Loyalists John Diamond (1759–1845) and Christiana Loyst (1765–1842), from Dutchess County, New York who fled to Fredericksburgh, Ontario after the Revolution.

The “Gunny” was a member and frequent visitor of the Toledo, Ohio Jewish Serviceman's USO Club sponsored by the National Jewish Welfare Board (NJWB) in 1943 as indicated by his registration card coded as a NON-JEW with a hole punched in the top left hand corner. The Gunny was a practicing Episcopalian as noted in the notes of journalist Marc Parrott who was present at Gunny Diamond's Episcopalian funeral services.

He enlisted in the Marine Corps in Detroit, Michigan, July 25, 1917, listing as his former occupation "railroad switchman." He was assigned Marine Service Number 98912. Although he enlisted at age 27, much older than most recruits, the difference was never noticeable.