Sons of Indiana in Iraq

Joe Hornaday
Greensburg Daily News

May 09, 2008 05:18 pm

— When the 76th Infantry Brigade left the states and headed to the Middle East, Army Spc. Jeromy Leonard was one of the brave soldiers who shipped out with the brigade.
Leonard was born in Bartholomew County, but was relocated to Greensburg in 1995 when he was a teenager. He attended Greensburg Community High School where he spent his time playing football for the school’s team and working on small engines when he had time to relax.
“He was a typical boy,” his mother Sherry Leonard said.
As an Army specialist, Leonard’s duties in Iraq all stem from his involvement in the wheeled vehicle mechanics division. The soldier’s love of working with engines came in handy when he chose his division. When U.S. Army vehicles require maintenance, Leonard steps in to offer his help.
“He works mostly on the big trucks,” his mother said. “It’s his job to keep them running. When he travels with convoys, he takes the wrecker.”
His mother does her best to remain optimistic about her son in Iraq, but did receive some distressing news just weeks ago.
“His camp had just been mortared,” she said. “Mortars fell on the unit where he sleeps, and a couple of men were injured.”
He wasn’t there, but he should have been, she said, but his mother was glad he was away from the camp. It’s hard to deal with him being in harm’s way so far away, but she said she understands why he’s there.
According to his mother, Leonard expressed serious interest in joining the Army after seeing the World Trade Center towers fall in September of 2001.
“I think he just felt like if there was something he could do, he would,” she explained.
Seeing the Twin Towers collapse was not the only motivation Leonard received. His maternal grandfather, Zenis Vest, was a military policeman in Okinawa.
“It was something Jeromy felt like he needed to fulfill,” his mother said.
With the inspiration of his family and country behind him, Leonard went to Fort Jackson for initial boot camp. He then traveled to Camp Atterbury and to Fort Stewart in Georgia before heading off to Kuwait, the country that acts as a staging base for military operations in Iraq.
Before the young soldier left the country, he attended the farewell to Indiana soldiers at the RCA Dome in early January.
“The whole family went,” his mother said. “It was very emotional and there were lots of tears. We didn’t get to see him after the ceremony. It was hard. It was hard on everybody, every day.”
Leonard’s two young sons, 7 year-old Dylan and 5 year-old Ryan, also attended Leonard’s departure at the RCA Dome.
“The boys really miss him, but they think it’s cool that he gets to work on the big trucks,” his mother said with a smile.
Leonard’s wife, Tara, also found the day at the Dome difficult.
“It was horrible,” she said. “It’s hard to keep yourself together and stay strong for your family.”
At the end of the ceremony, the boys truly understood what it meant. As the soldiers began to file out and disappear behind the curtain, the boys were devastated, and sobbed while their mother and grandmother tried to remain strong.
Though the good-bye in January was heartbreaking, the family received good news just a few weeks later.
During a pass of leave from his military duties, Leonard’s family traveled to Georgia to spend time with him.
“The whole family went,” his mother said. “All of his sisters and nieces and his cousin, too.”
While in Georgia, the family rented condos on Tybee Island.
According to Tara Leonard, the only thing her husband wanted was a homecooked meal.
“We didn’t go out to eat,” she said.
The family did have all their meals together, and they were cooked by Leonard’s family, just how he likes them.
Now, with thousands of miles between Jeromy Leonard and his family, the lines of communication remain open and in frequent use.
“He tries to call once a week,” his mother said.
Tara Leonard added that the family mainly talks to the soldier on the phone, or through e-mails. But for his mother, that just is not good enough.
“I want to hear his voice,” she said.
The family believes that the phone calls make them feel better, but worry that staying in touch may be making the young soldier feel worse.
“He tells me he can’t sleep at night thinking about his family,” his wife said sadly.
While the brave soldier may have trouble sleeping at night, his sons are experiencing the same problem at home.
“Ryan sleeps with his picture some nights,” Leonard’s wife explained. “Some nights he just kisses the picture, but others he holds onto it.”
The boys also express their sadness with their father’s employment.
“Ryan says he doesn’t like daddy’s boss because he makes him work so far from home,” Tara Leonard said.
Sherry Leonard wished to thank all those who have prayed for him. Her employer, Collection Associates, has helped out immensely by sending items and packages to the brigade.
“We’ll continue to pray and support him. We’re proud of him for what he’s doing,” his mother sighed.

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