Saluting a living WWII treasure and all those who serve
This weekend we celebrated history with someone who lived it.
In Monday’s edition of the Butler Eagle we had the privilege of covering a ceremony honoring Robert “Bob” Leslie and the memory of his former comrades from the 103rd Infantry Division of the U.S. Army.
Leslie, 101 years young, is among the last figures in a dwindling national treasure: those who served in WWII and fought for a world without fascism, a world where democracy stood tall and at the forefront leading the charge against systems in which the individual is lesser than the state.
For his service, he earned a Purple Heart and the nation’s eternal gratitude.
When reading about Leslie’s story, we find he was hit by shrapnel during the Battle of the Bulge. He would deal with the repercussions for the rest of his life.
During his six-month deployment from November 1944 to April 1945, the Cactus Division reported almost 900 casualties while fighting through Austria, Germany, France and Italy. Along the way, Leslie earned the Bronze Star, French Legion of Honor and Combat Infantryman Badge.
Eight members of Leslie’s 190-man company made it home. Today, Leslie is the last known man alive from his company.
Thousands of individuals, many of them too young to realize what they had actually signed up for, selflessly volunteered themselves to go to foreign shores with no idea what might await them to fight for an ideal. Leslie is just one of such.
While the ranks who served in WWII are dwindling, there are countless others who have served since. Every last one of whom chose to walk into an uncertain future to protect the safety of those back home and the ideals upon which this nation was founded.
We have nothing but respect and admiration for those who served our country and those who continue to step up and serve today.
It is essential that we recognize these heroes, such as Leslie, and remember their contributions are the reason we have the freedom to live our lives as we do today.
— JP
