Leon Medlock

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Leon G. Medlock (born January 15, 1912 in Albertville - died January 24, 2007 in Marietta, Georgia) was a member of the Alabama National Guard who served in World War II and later a Birmingham police officer.

Medlock grew up in Albertville and played football for Albertville High School in the late 1920s. Out of high school, he joined the National Guard. In March , 1931 he, along with his unit, was ordered to guard three of the Scottsboro boys who were accused of raping two women on a train.

During World War II, Medlock served as a forward observer providing fire support to infantry in New Guinea and East Timor.

After the war, he joined the police department in Birmingham. In April, 1963 it was his duty to guard Martin Luther King, Jr during his term at the Birmingham City Jail.

Medlock died at age 95 in January 2007. He was survived by his daughter and three grandsons. He is interred at Elmwood Cemetery in Birmingham.

References

  • Leon G. Medlock (January 26, 2007) obituary. Birmingham News.