Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
A small banner with three stars hangs in the front window of Joe and Sandi Leonard’s on 47th Avenue in Foster.
It’s a tradition that goes back to World War II when families would put up a star when they had boys serving overseas.
Jeff Leonard sent his parents the banner to represent the three sons they will soon have stationed in the Middle East: Joe “Scott,” 29; Jeff, 26; and Jonathan, 22.
Scott is a sergeant and works as a small arms armorer. He has been in the Marines for seven years and plans to make a career of the military. He left for Iraq in August from Twenty-nine Palms, Calif. He is married to Chelsea, who is expecting a baby. They have a 21-month-old daughter, Annamaria.
Scott sleeps in his armory, Sandi Leonard said. He mostly repairs and maintains weapons, but he can be needed at almost any time. Sleeping in the barracks, he would have to disturb everyone else while they sleep to get to his job.
Jeff is in the Army National Guard with the 224th Engineers, based in Albany. He left for Wisconsin in June and headed for Iraq in August. He is single and is employed by Parr Lumber in Albany. His unit repairs roads and defuses roadside explosive devices. He has been in the National Guard for 2 1/2 years.
Jonathan is a Marine lance corporal. He serves as a crew chief on a CH-46 Sea Knight on the USS Tarawa, an amphibious assault ship that carries helicopters and Harriers based on its mission. He is engaged to Emily Shore of Auburn, Calif. His ship is deployed to the Pacific and is likely to be working in the Middle East soon. His helicopter is primarily used for medival evacuation and transport duties. He has been a Marine for 2 1/2 years.
Jon loves flying and working on the choppers, Sandi said.
Joe Leonard related how a CH-46 went down in the Mojave Desert, and he and his crew had to fly out, rebuild the engine and bring it back, all in one night.
As crew chief, Jon stays with his chopper performing maintenance and keeping it flying, Joe said.
“This is the most serious thing I’ve ever seen with him,” Joe said. “It’s very serious to him to do a good job. He wants to make a career of aviation in some form.”
The details on where and what their sons are doing is somewhat sketchy, Joe said. They aren’t allowed to give too many details.
“I can’t wait till they get home so they can tell us what they’re doing,” he said.
Their youngest son, Caleb, is attending Linn-Benton Community College in a pre-law program.
“He told me, ‘I really like what I’m doing. I’m going to continue my education,” said Joe, who pastors Foster Baptist Church. Sandi works as a librarian at Sweet Home Library.
With all of their boys, Joe and Sandi Leonard have explained the pros and cons for joining the military; and they support them in their decisions.
They also have five daughters, Sarah Lynn, Suzi, Becky, Heidi and Emily. All of them were together for a couple of days in June, and Sandi took the opportunity to get a photo of the entire family before Scott, Jeff and Jonathan left.
“We worry about their safety,” Sandi said. “Jeffrey assures me he trusts in God, and (God) knows what He’s doing.”
If it’s his time to go, it doesn’t matter if he’s in Iraq or his front yard, she said he told her.
Scott’s expressed the same thought, Joe said.
“I’m watching Chelsea be separated from her husband,” Sandi said, and Annamaria “misses her Daddy. Scott’s really concerned that he’s not here for the birth of their second child. They’re willing to do this because they believe in what they’re doing.”
Their church, Foster Baptist, where Joe is pastor, has seven persons serving in the military right now. Several have been in and out of Iraq.
While they are concerned about their sons who are in harm’s way, the Leonards said, “we support them in what they’re doing.”
“They feel like they’re making a difference,” Sandy said. One of them told her that when they move into a town, “the Iraqis tell them thank you.”
The Iraqis are feeling safer, Sandi said. “No one could go out of their homes a year ago. (American troops are) making a difference.”
Children who might have been wary of them in the past will take candy from soldiers, Joe said. The people are a lot more positive about Americans being there now that they’re starting to feel like Americans can protect them.
“Regardless of what you think about the effort, whether we should have gone, we need to finish the job,” Joe said, and from everything he and Sandi hear, things in Iraq are finally improving. “I think they’re (the people) becoming angry with the fanatical Islamic radicals.”
The Leonards are happy they can hear regularly from their sons, a contrast to past wars, Joe said. They call regularly, even if it takes a while between calls when they get busy. That wasn’t something he could do when he was serving in Vietnam in 1971, Joe said.
Their sons can also e-mail their parents, which they do regularly.
Scott and Jeff have described Iraq for their parents.
It’s miles and miles of flat ground, Sandi said. “It goes from totally impoverished to ultra-modern.”
Not only are they proud of their boys, Joe said. “We’re supportive of the other men that we’ve met,” along with their families.
“We’re proud of the attitude that’s in our military,” Joe said. The families have a camaraderie of their own, and the soldiers share a professionalism.
“They’re very serious about their work,” he said. “The attitude of the men and what their purpose is, is very honorable.
“I think more credit needs to go to our National Guard. They’re doing a job there’s not enough thanks for.”
They take time away from their careers at all ages and all walks of life, the Leonards said.
Joe said he was comforted to meet these men, many of them experienced.
“I know they’ll watch out for him,” Joe said.
Perhaps the thing that makes them most proud of all of them is something an officer said during Jeff’s graduation from engineering school.
“I want you to understand this is a great sacrifice,” Sandi quoted the officer as saying. “These men and women volunteered in wartime.”