Bronze Star recipient visits Sisters

John Leese with his wife Lisa and son Jonathon. photo by Jim Mitchell Sisters High School graduate John Leese is back from the Iraqi desert with extra baggage -- the Bronze Star Medal awarded for heroism in combat.

Last week family, friends, and dignitaries gathered to welcome Leese home and to celebrate his award.

Leese, a 1994 Sisters High graduate, did contract wildfire fighting and worked as a logger. During much of that time he was a volunteer with the Sisters-Camp Sherman and Crooked River Ranch fire departments. Leese said that in 2000, when his work at Wal-Mart became "too boring" he joined the United States Air Force.

Leese was sent to Iraq as Senior Airman with the 494th Light/Medium Truck Company attached to the 44th Battalion, supporting the 1st Infantry Division.

According to Leese, the Air Force was filling an Army slot in Iraq. The Army did not have enough transport personnel, so they enlisted the help of the Air Force for convoy protection.

Arriving in Iraq, the Air Force Company expected to be driving trucks and Humvees, but were assigned to gun duty. According to Leese, "We were the first Air Force Truck Company in the theater to start doing that job." Leese had been designated as a Combat Lifesaver, complete with what he terms an "inadequate" medical bag.

In May 2004, Leese's convoy came under attack in northern Iraq. Leese said a mortar round landed five feet from his truck and he decided, "Yeah, OK, time to get out of the truck."

Diving out of and under the truck he proceeded to treat victims with supplies from his medical bag. Despite the presence of other Combat Lifesavers, Leese was the only one in the convoy with a medical bag.

Leese received a call from one of the lead vehicles where a gunner had been hit by shrapnel. Leese made his way forward, finding the driver with minor injuries and the gunner on the ground. Initial treatment was not effective and Leese found that the gunner was bleeding from his femoral artery. Administering the saline solution from his medical bag, he called in a helicopter from the forward theater to rescue the downed gunner.

For his heroic actions under fire, Leese was awarded the Bronze Star.

The Bronze Star is awarded to any person serving in the military who "distinguishes himself by heroic service...in connection with operations against an opposing armed force."

Kathie Eckman, representing Senator Ron Wyden, presented a letter of commendation from Governor Kulongoski that concluded, "On behalf of the citizens of Oregon allow me to express our pride, our gratitude and our congratulations on this recognition of your act of bravery on behalf of your fellow soldiers and in service to your country."

During his time in Iraq, Leese's wife Lisa delivered their son Jonathon. Lisa works as a nurse's assistant in a hospital Intensive Care Unit in Little Rock, AR. John's home base is Little Rock Air Force Base.

Returning to Little Rock in September, Leese resumed normal transporter duty ­ air crew transport, bus runs, tractor/trailer runs, or wrecker runs. According to Leese, "What we're doing over there is completely different than what we normally do."

Leese plans to do "the full 20 (years)." Upon returning to Little Rock, he will apply to be a Firefighter in the Civil Engineering squadron.

When asked, "Are we making a difference?" Leese replied, "We are. My personal opinion is that we are making headway."

He added, "How did the locals feel about us? Ninety percent of them loved us. They wanted us there. Walk up to any of them and ask them how they feel about Saddam. They would say, 'Saddam is donkey.'"