"SOMBER SETTING - The parents of Marine Cpl. Christopher David Leon, James and Kathi Leon of Lancaster, receive an American flag from Leon's commanding officer, Lt. Col. Joe Shrader, during graveside services Saturday at Joshua Memorial Park in Lancaster." RON SIDDLE/Valley Press That is Cpl. Leon (Shame on me, I was a Cpl. too)
Cpl. Christopher David Leon, one of America's finest.
May God bless him and his family.
Crowd honors fallen AV Marine - Cpl. Leon was a 'Marine's Marine'
By MARISSA WIDDISON
Valley Press - July 2, 2006
LANCASTER - In a ceremony that lined sidewalks with American flags hefted by "Patriot Guard" motorcyclists and stirred heated air with the music of a lone bugle, Cpl. Christopher D. Leon was celebrated Saturday as a true friend and a "Marine's Marine."
The Lancaster High graduate was 20 when he was killed in action June 20 in Iraq.
On Saturday, the chapel of Desert Vineyard Christian Fellowship was filled with nearly a thousand people who cried and laughed when talking about Leon's life.
"There were good times and bad times and everything in between," said David Meade, who grew up with Leon and described a rich collection of shared adventures: paintballing, visiting Sea World, catching a puck hit by Wayne Gretzky.
The audience chuckled as he spoke about a time the mischievous duo accidentally set fire to a desert field and tried to extinguish it with squirt guns before calling the Fire Department.
But emotions took a more sober tone as Meade said he witnessed firsthand Leon's transition into adulthood.
"When Chris talked to me about joining the Marines, he told me he felt it was right and that this was what he was called to do," Meade said.
It was while writing back and forth during boot camp that Meade realized Leon was "the perfect person to be defending our country."
"He was becoming a true soldier," Meade said. "He went to boot camp with the mind of a boy, but he came back a man."
Those who served with Leon used strong adjectives to try paint a picture of his service.
He was brave, they said, confident, kindhearted, strong. He was mature beyond his years, the kind of Marine everybody wanted to be like.
Leon's fiancée, Aimey Vaccaro , read several e-mails from fellow soldiers who worked with Leon in Okinawa and Iraq, where he worked as a radio chief assigned to an élite assault team.
"He was the most dedicated person I have ever met," wrote one fellow soldier who called Leon "Barbarian" because of his physical prowess. Leon played sports in high school and earned a green belt in the Marine martial arts program.
Maj. David Burke recalled hearing Leon's voice every day over the radio. The young man was often the first one at the truck, he said, diligent in preparing for upcoming missions.
"I have no memories of this deployment that do not include Chris," he said. "Know that there is another person who is better for having known him."
Before uniformed officers presented Leon's family with a posthumous Purple Heart on Saturday, Leon's commanding officer in Okinawa, Lt. Col. Joe Shrader, stood behind the microphone and said Leon's life was a true example of honorable sacrifice.
Leon once said he enlisted, volunteering to protect the Constitution of the United States even if it took him to the front lines, so that his friends wouldn't have to.
He was supposed to be gone seven months, returning in time to marry Vaccaro in December. Even though he was 8,000 miles away, Vaccaro said, he still managed to send her flowers once a month.
"I really hope that is a wake-up call," Vaccaro said, focusing on the young faces in the audience. "It's up to you guys to make a difference. Remember what life is about. It's not about parties. It's not about all the other things we get ourselves worked up about."
Not everyone who showed up Saturday knew Leon personally. Limousines carried family members past lines of veterans and patriotic motorcyclists holding American flags. They followed on their big bikes to Joshua Memorial Park, where they once again held the Stars and Stripes in honor of Leon.
Programs for the ceremonies displayed a picture of Leon in battle gear in Iraq. Printed inside was Scripture that more than one person quoted before the day was through:
"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."
Rifles cracked in full military honors salute, and flags were presented to his parents and his fiancée.
Leon is survived by his parents James and Kathi Leon, who described him as the "greatest blessing possible." He was adopted at birth, and he met his birth mother, Nikki Ruhl, shortly before leaving for Iraq.
...Leon is survived by his parents James and Kathi Leon, who described him as the "greatest blessing possible"...
Wow. Just in case we might forget what really
matters as we go about our daily tasks...
Thanks for the post.
America's finest. Condolences to James, Kathi, Nikki, Aimey, Dave Meade, Dave Burke, Joe Shrader and all of Chris' friends.