Editing Lou Diamond (section)

==World War II==
Following the [[Japan]]ese [[Attack on Pearl Harbor|attack]] at [[Pearl Harbor]], Diamond shipped out to [[Battle of Guadalcanal|Guadalcanal]] with Company&nbsp;H, [[2nd Battalion 5th Marines|2nd Battalion]], [[5th Marine Regiment (United States)|5th Marines]], [[1st Marine Division]], arriving at the beaches on August 7, 1942. He was then 52 years old.

Though not a "spit-and-polish" Marine, Diamond proved himself an expert with both 60- and 81-mm mortars, his accurate fire being credited as the turning point of many battles on Guadalcanal. Among the many fables concerning his Guadalcanal service is the tale that he lobbed a [[mortar (weapon)|mortar shell]] down the smoke stack of an off-shore Japanese [[cruiser]]. It is considered a fact, however, that he drove the cruiser from the bay with his harassing "near-misses."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mcu.usmc.mil/historydivision/Pages/Who's%20Who/D-F/Diamond_L.aspx|title=Master Gunnery Sergeant Leland Diamond, USMC (Deceased)|website=United States Marine Corps, History Division|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923062949/https://www.mcu.usmc.mil/historydivision/Pages/Who's%20Who/D-F/Diamond_L.aspx|archive-date=September 23, 2015|url-status=dead|access-date=April 14, 2019}}</ref>

General [[Alexander Vandegrift]], Commander of the 1st Marine Division, and later [[Commandant of the United States Marine Corps|Commandant of the Marine Corps]], wrote a letter of commendation that states in part:

{{blockquote|The Commanding General takes the greatest pleasure in commending you for the outstanding performance of duty on Tulagi and Guadalcanal, British Solomon Islands, during the occupation of those Islands by the first Marine Division. As Master Gunnery Sergeant of Company "H", Second Battalion, Fifth Marines, you performed your duties in an outstanding manner throughout the above period. On several occasions, the well-directed and well-timed fire of the Mortar Platoon under your charge was a deciding factor in halting an enemy attack and enabling friendly troops to advance against enemy positions. You deserve the highest credit in connection with maintaining the morale of the men of the Second Battalion, Fifth Marines. You were at all times cheerful, energetic and encouraging, and never more so than during those periods when the going was toughest. You brought the benefit of your long service experience and mature judgment to the younger less-experienced men of your unit and helped them in every way possible. To every man in your company, you were a counselor, an arbiter of disputes, and an ideal Marine. Your matchless loyalty and love of the Marine Corps and all it stands for are known to hundreds of officers and men of this Division and will serve as an inspiration to them on all the battlefields on which this Division may on the future be engaged. The Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps has been furnished a copy of this letter, with a request that it be made a part of your official record.}}

After two months on Guadalcanal, physical disabilities dictated his evacuation by air against his wishes. He was moved to the [[New Hebrides]] and later to a hospital in [[New Zealand]], where he somehow acquired orders to board a supply ship for [[New Caledonia]]. There a friend ordered him back to Guadalcanal – the supposed location of his old outfit. Upon his arrival, however, Diamond discovered that the 1st&nbsp;Marine Division had shipped out to [[Australia]], a distance of over {{convert|1500|mi}}. Diamond made the trip, without orders, by bumming rides on planes, ships and trains.

But Diamond was not destined to see any more combat. On July 1, 1943, he disembarked from the [[USS Hermitage (AP-54)|USS ''Hermitage'']] (AP-54) at San Pedro, California, and twelve days later was made an instructor at the [[Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island|MCRD Parris Island]], [[South Carolina]]. He was transferred to [[Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune|Camp Lejeune]] on June&nbsp;15, 1945, and joined the 5th&nbsp;Training Battalion with the same duties.