Ep 17: To Protect and To Serve, Spc Joseph Kennedy
America's Memory
Military history. Story of a fallen hero from war in Afghanistan
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Ep 16: Big Brother, Major Samuel Griffith
America's Memory
A Major who served in the war in Afghanistan pays the ultimate sacrifice and this is his powerful story.
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Ep 15: The Right Guy, William "Chief" Carlson
America's Memory
CIA Operative and former Delta Force who paid ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan War
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Ep 14: In Harm's Way, Sgt Anthony Maddox
America's Memory
Sgt Anthony Maddox is one of the over 2,400 fallen US Military from the war in Afghanistan and this is his story.
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Ep 13: Born to Serve, Cpl Jacob Leicht
America's Memory
Story of fallen hero from the war in Afghanistan
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Ep 12: Second Chances, HM2 Clayton Beauchamp
America's Memory
The story of a man from Texas who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the war in Afghanistan.
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Ep. 11: They Call Me Doc, Spc Jerod Osborne
America's Memory
The story of an Army medic who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the war in Afghanistan
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Ep 10: Wounds Unseen, SSgt Jeffrey Reber
America's Memory
Jeffrey Reber was an American hero. The list of Marines willing to praise his battlefield leadership is long and distinguished. Many of them would suggest they’re alive today because of his split-second decisions during combat.
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Ep 9: The Moose, SSG Curtis Oakes
America's Memory
The story of one of the fallen US military from the war in Afghanistan
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Ep 8: Tip of the Spear, Mike Spann (CIA)
America's Memory
The first US casualty in the war in Afghanistan was Johnny Mike Spann.
info_outlineJacob Leicht always liked that he was born on the Fourth of July. Who else gets a parade on their birthday? Some may not like sharing their special day with another holiday, but he embraced it.
On a day when America celebrates its independence and freedoms, it seemed like destiny that Leicht’s life would be dedicated in service to America. That ultimately, he’d give his life for his country on Memorial Day weekend.
If that wasn’t enough, that he’d be the 1,000th service member killed in Afghanistan theatre of war according to the Department of Defense. It’s certainly not a number anyone wants to report but rather serves as a marker to the sacrifice our service members, and their families, have made in fighting the War on Terror.
If the irony were not already thick enough in his life, Leicht was never supposed to return to combat after suffering a horrific injury in Iraq.
Doctors wanted to take his leg and told him he’d never return to combat. He faced dozens of surgeries and months of rehabilitation. However, the man born on Independence Day would not be denied. Where most might give up, he persevered. He fought to get back into the fight.
Jacob came into the world at Naval Air Station Lemoore in California to navy parents but was immediately adopted by the Leicht family. The Leichts boast a large family of six with both biological and adopted children.
They raised Jacob in church and homeschooled the kids. Everyone called him Jake, except for mom, Shirly, who preferred Jacob.
It’s no surprise that his mom found him a strong-willed child based on many actions later in life that revealed his relentless nature. She also found him an artistic child, yet, his greater characteristic was that of protector.
The Leichts fostered many children and Jacob became attached to these temporary siblings and often cried when they left. The manner and faith in how his parents loved others made a deep impact on Jacob as can be seen in this letter he wrote early in his Marine Corps service on the occasion of Mother’s Day.
“Now that I am older and on my own, I can look back with new eyes and see just how much love, time, and effort you put into making me the man I am today.
We may have not always seen eye-to-eye, and even now live different lifestyles, but you gave me that good solid foundation on which I live my life. You showed me God, taught me, and showed by example how a decent, Christian person should live.” 1
That determined young man actually had plans to become a naval officer after earning an ROTC scholarship to the University of Texas. His father had served as a medical officer in the navy.
After only a semester, some Marines convinced him that he epitomized the Marine Corps. Jacob agreed and left college for boot camp in 2006. Tall and lean, he graduated to serve as a mortarman in support of infantry.