Leonard W. Hatton Jr.
Leonard W. Hatton Jr. | |
|---|---|
 FBI Special Agent Leonard Hatton | |
| Born | August 17, 1956 Teaneck, New Jersey, U.S.[1] |
| Died | September 11, 2001 (aged 45) New York City, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Collapse of 2 World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks |
| Resting place | Ridgefield Park, New Jersey[1] |
| Monuments | National September 11 Memorial & Museum |
| Education | National University |
| Occupation | Special agent |
| Employer | Federal Bureau of Investigation |
| Children | 4 |
Leonard William Hatton Jr. (August 17, 1956 – September 11, 2001)
Early life and personal life
Leonard W. Hatton Jr. was born in Teaneck, New Jersey, and lived in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, to Marilyn Hatton and Leonard Hatton Sr. who was a Ridgefield Park police officer. He graduated with the class of 1975 at Ridgefield Park High School, where was a halfback on the school's football team.[2] He then attended Jersey City State College as an ROTC student, receiving his bachelor's in criminal justice. Shortly after, while in the United States Marine Corps he completed studies in forensic science at National University in San Diego. In 1978 he married his high school sweetheart, with whom he had four children.[3]
Career
After six years of active duty, including a stint as a military police officer, Hatton joined the FBI in New Orleans in 1985, and worked briefly in a small Louisiana office. In 1991, he was assigned to New York City as a member of an investigative team working on a bank robbery case. Leonard Hatton's main job was an FBI specialist in explosives and evidence recovery, where he worked until his death. In addition to cracking a number of high-profile bank robbery and kidnapping cases, he investigated international terrorist attacks such as the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the 1998 United States embassy bombings, and the 2000 USS Cole bombing. Three months before the September 11 attacks, he had testified in the trial of a follower of the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda.[4][5]
September 11 attacks
On the morning of September 11, 2001, Hatton was on his way to work when he saw the
Legacy
At the National 9/11 Memorial, Hatton is memorialized at the South Pool, on Panel S-26. In 2002, the Leonard W. Hatton Memorial Golf Classic was established in Colts Neck Township, New Jersey, in dedication to his memory and has held an annual golf memorial since. All proceeds are donated to the Burchette, Conners, Ellington, Hereford, Lynch Memorial College Scholarship Fund. The Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization, provides college scholarships to the children of deceased FBI Special Agents. As of September 8, 2020, the Hatton Memorial Golf Classic has raised more than $3,564,400 for the Fund.[8]
References
- ^ a b c "Leonard W. Hatton, Jr". National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Archived from the original on 2022-09-29. Retrieved 2022-09-29.
- ^ Calderone, Joe; and Zambito, Thomas. "Farewell To FBI Bomb Expert And Father of 4", New York Daily News, October 1, 2001. Accessed November 15, 2017. "Son of a cop, Hatton starred as halfback on the Ridgefield Park football team, married his high school sweetheart and took the only job he'd ever wanted, as an agent with the FBI. His work took him to New Orleans for years, but, after being assigned to the Joint Bank Robbery Task Force in New York, he returned to Ridgefield Park.... On Saturday, as strains of an Elton John song filtered through the church, Hatton's Ridgefield Park class, members of the Class of '75, wiped away tears."
- ^ http://myhero.com/hero.asp?hero=L_Hatton_cvhs_US_2015_ul LIFESAVER HERO: LEONARD HATTON
- ^ a b c "'Extraordinary' work of unsung heroes". The Washington Times. July 25, 2008.
- ^ a b "Leonard W. Hatton Jr., Ridgefield Park". North Jersey.com. August 15, 2011.
- ^ "Leonard W. Hatton (Wall of Honor) 1956 - 2001". Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Archived from the original on 2021-09-11. Retrieved 2021-09-11.
- ^ Leonard W. Hatton Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Leonard W. Hatton Memorial Golf Classic". Retrieved 8 February 2021.