Leland Burns' military service from 1975 to 1979 included a two year tour of Germany with temporary assignments to Italy, Turkey, and Spain. Most of his enlistment was serving as a jet fighter crew chief on an active nuclear alert air-base. He also spent a brief period with an Air Force drum and bugle corp.

While overseas he realized that the liberated citizens of Europe were still very thankful to US soldiers for their freedom and he was occasionally approached and thanked by those citizens. This experience gave him a new perspective about his father’s military action during WWII.

Dwayne T. Burns had served as a communications man with the 508th Parachute Regiment attached to the 82 Airborne and had jump with that division on D-Day the invasion of Normandy. Dwayne also fought in Holland during Operation Market Garden and in the Battle of the Bulge.

After his military duty Leland Burns spent 10 years on the technical side of the music industry and then another five years as a college instructor. Currently he has 10 years of service as an engineer for Verizon Telecommunications. His hobbies include sports car racing, sailing and the breeding and showing of South American Parrots. He is published in Watchbird Magazine, Bird Talk Magazine, and has he has lectured before the America Federation of Aviculture. His first book, co-written with his father, is a journal of his father's memories as a WWII Paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne.

The Jump into the Valley of the Shadow is a work spanning more than 20 years. The idea for the book grew from the family insisting that Dwayne write down the many stories of the war they had heard while growing up in the Burns household.

The book had many drafts over the years and the final version was sent to the publisher with the assistance of Dwayne's second son. Leland further interviewed his dad, met with other paratroopers and spent hours of research to piece together memories with the historical documentation.

Dwayne was born on October 21, 1924 in Fort Worth. He lived most of his life in the Lake Worth and Haltom City area. He married Mildred True on August 15, 1948. Dwayne worked 26 years as an engineer for Bell Helicopter. He earned his pilot's rating in sail planes and single engine aircraft. Dwayne painted, drew, played the guitar, sang and occasionally wrote songs. For many years he created stained glass windows from his original designs.

As the father of four children, two boys and two girls, Dwayne enjoyed spending time with his children, grandchildren and extended family. Some of his favorite pastimes were camping, fishing and travelling. He was a long time member of the 508th Association and hosted two F-Company reunions.

Dwayne jumped to his final reward on Tuesday, August 8, 2006 at a Grapevine, Texas, hospital.