Leonard Alan Panza was born in Mechanicsburg, PA on August 21, 1945. He was the son of Michael A. Panza and Charlotte Ann (Vogelsong) Panza. Lenny came to the Naval Academy in the summer of 1966 from the fleet, where he served as a Hospital Corpsman Second Class. He was credited with saving a life on the Class of 1970 Induction Day, when he saw another in distress and reacted as the natural leader he was. Lenny helped lead his plebe company mates, through Plebe Summer and into that fateful night when the Brigade returned in September, 1966. It was around this time that Lenny learned he had made the advancement list and decided he could better serve the Navy during Vietnam as a senior corpsman rather than a midshipman.
Lenny left the Academy during the first semester of the academic year and took the advancement exam to HM-1. Lenny passed away on June 4, 1974, and his family and friends lost a good soul. Lenny was laid to rest at the Chestnut Hill Cemetery, Mechanicsburg, PA. He was survived by his mother Charlotte A. Panza and a sister Terry Aileen Panza Schneider, both of Mechanicsburg.
Updated: November 08, 2018
Curator: Ed Moore