Leon Thomas Culverhouse was born in January 1951, one of several children of Walter “Russ” Culverhouse and Dorothy Volmerding-Culverhouse.  The family lived on Falda Avenue in Torrance, and Leon attended St. Catherine Laboure School and Torrance High School.

Culverhouse joined the U.S. Marine Corps when he was in high school and attained the rank of Private First Class. He married Ellen Gamache of Lomita on March 25, 1969 when they were both only 18 years old. 

Still newlywed and fresh out of boot camp, PFC Culverhouse started his tour in May 1969 and was sent to South Vietnam. He was assigned to Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division as an Antitank Assaultman, a flamethrower, where he participated in Operation Virginia Ridge.  

On June 3, while on patrol outside of Cam Lo Village, PFC Culverhouse was killed by fragmentation wounds to the left side of his body from enemy mortar attacks. Six other Marines were also killed in action nearby. 

Operation Virginia Ridge ended on July 16, 1969. Unclassified reports state that enemy losses for the operation were 560 killed and 17 suspects detained. The U.S. suffered a total of 106 killed and 490 wounded.  

PFC Leon T. Culverhouse was 18 years old and had been in the Marine Corps for seven months when he died, 33 days of which were in combat.  He was awarded the Purple Heart and was survived by his widow Ellen of Lomita, his father, mother and four sisters, three of whom lived in Torrance. Services were held at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church in Lomita with the burial at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Culver City. 

Leon Culverhouse and his family had deep local ties. He was born in Torrance and attended local schools. Both his parents worked for the Torrance Police Department.