Editing Leonardo, New Jersey (section)

==History==
Leonardo is named for Henry and James Leonard, the first [[ironmaster]]s of New Jersey.<ref>Chang, Kathy; and Kesten, Karen L. [http://hub.gmnews.com/news/2010-01-07/Front_Page/Birth_of_a_town.html "Birth of a town"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141215000912/http://hub.gmnews.com/news/2010-01-07/Front_Page/Birth_of_a_town.html |date=2014-12-15 }}, ''the hub'', January 7, 2010. Accessed August 7, 2012. "The Leonardo section of Middletown was a part of Atlantic Highlands and originally called Leonardville. It was named after Henry and James Leonard, the first ironmasters in the state. Croydon Hall was the home of John J. Leonard."</ref>

During [[World War II]], the large dock complex of [[Naval Weapons Station Earle]] was built to supply ammunition to the forces.

Leonardo is known as the site of the only casualties of the US Nike Missile program. On May 22, 1958, an [[MIM-3 Nike Ajax|Ajax missile]] exploded at the Nike missile base in Leonardo, killing six soldiers and four civilians.<ref>Spencer, Luke [http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-rusted-rotting-remains-of-a-new-jersey-missile-base "The Rusted, Rotting Remains of A New Jersey Missile Base"], ''Atlas Obscura'', June 11, 2015. Accessed June 11, 2015.  "No Nikes were ever launched in anger over US soil, but the program wasn't without casualties. In Leonardo, New Jersey, an Ajax missile exploded on May 22nd, 1958, killing six soldiers and four civilians."</ref><ref>Beitler, Stu [https://www.gendisasters.com/new-jersey/14060/leonardo-nj-nike-missile-explosion-may-1958 "Leonardo, NJ Nike Missile Explosion, May 1958"], ''GenDisasters'', 2011. Accessed June 11, 2015.  "The dead included six soldiers and four civilians."</ref>  Since the [[Project Nike]] shutdown in 1974, the Leonardo launch base, designated NY-53, has been [[List of Nike missile sites#New York|redeveloped into single-family home sites]].