Posted on May 14, 2016
Jan Scruggs: Remembering Jesus De Leon: gentle soul, draftee, Vietnam vet
1.7K
25
4
9
9
0
Editor’s note:Jan Scruggs, who conceived the building of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., as a tribute to all who served in Vietnam, and the founder and president emeritus of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, submitted this commentary.
You probably never heard of Jesus De Leon. I met him in In February 1970, a draftee from Texas. I was in Vietnam as an E-4 with the 199th Infantry Brigade. He was in my mortar platoon for a week or so before being transferred to a rifle platoon. We were taking ongoing casualties fighting near Xuan Loc.
Jesus was very frightened. He was not pleased to be carrying a rifle. We had the same birthday, March 11th. He was training to be a welder. This gentle soul told friends in Texas that he did not expect to return alive. Some troops in his platoon noted his fear and remember it to this day. He was afraid, but faced danger like a soldier.
Before leaving Vietnam in late March, I looked at the bureaucratic letter from the Army to his parents; “We regret to inform you that your son, Jesus, gave his life for his country. While attempting to silence an enemy position, he received mortal wounds. He was well-liked and respected by the men of Company D, 4th Battalion 12th of the 199th Infantry Brigade.” He had been in Vietnam for five weeks.
More than 1.7 million people were drafted during the war. Not all ended up in Vietnam. Many faced the Soviet troops in Europe. Yet 17,725 draftees died in Vietnam. More than 3,000 Hispanic-Americans gave their lives in that war. One, Jose Jimenez from Mexico City, won the Medal of Honor. Hispanics serve today. Corporal Lauro DeLeon of San Antonio died in Iraq.
Six other "De Leons" are on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. There are about 50 people named “Jesus.” They are "forever young”— their lives ended in combat far away.
I gladly left the Army after my two years and attended American University. My fellow students were offspring of affluent parents. They did not serve in the military. None would have to, nor would their children.
The draft ended in 1973. Since then the military and the public have drifted apart. As one former chairman of the Joint Chiefs noted— the U.S. Military is almost like "the American Foreign Legion.” Since 2001, the Army has been at war while the nation has been at the shopping mall. It is sad. Many assume the military is like the fire department, a place for people who like excitement to have a career.
History made life very different in 1969. The U.S. drafted Jesus and many others— to replenish the killed and wounded during the lengthy fighting in Vietnam. Recently there was interest in the issue of drafting women if the need ever arises again. The military and the public prefer a volunteer force. This was also the case in 1861, 1917 and 1941. History is not always predictable or pleasant. The amount of military activity in the world today is astounding. From Korea to Africa to the Middle East, even Europe, there is violence. Some adversaries have nuclear weapons. Let’s hope for the best.
Rest in peace, Jesus De Leon. It was a pleasure to know you. Thank you for your service.
You probably never heard of Jesus De Leon. I met him in In February 1970, a draftee from Texas. I was in Vietnam as an E-4 with the 199th Infantry Brigade. He was in my mortar platoon for a week or so before being transferred to a rifle platoon. We were taking ongoing casualties fighting near Xuan Loc.
Jesus was very frightened. He was not pleased to be carrying a rifle. We had the same birthday, March 11th. He was training to be a welder. This gentle soul told friends in Texas that he did not expect to return alive. Some troops in his platoon noted his fear and remember it to this day. He was afraid, but faced danger like a soldier.
Before leaving Vietnam in late March, I looked at the bureaucratic letter from the Army to his parents; “We regret to inform you that your son, Jesus, gave his life for his country. While attempting to silence an enemy position, he received mortal wounds. He was well-liked and respected by the men of Company D, 4th Battalion 12th of the 199th Infantry Brigade.” He had been in Vietnam for five weeks.
More than 1.7 million people were drafted during the war. Not all ended up in Vietnam. Many faced the Soviet troops in Europe. Yet 17,725 draftees died in Vietnam. More than 3,000 Hispanic-Americans gave their lives in that war. One, Jose Jimenez from Mexico City, won the Medal of Honor. Hispanics serve today. Corporal Lauro DeLeon of San Antonio died in Iraq.
Six other "De Leons" are on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. There are about 50 people named “Jesus.” They are "forever young”— their lives ended in combat far away.
I gladly left the Army after my two years and attended American University. My fellow students were offspring of affluent parents. They did not serve in the military. None would have to, nor would their children.
The draft ended in 1973. Since then the military and the public have drifted apart. As one former chairman of the Joint Chiefs noted— the U.S. Military is almost like "the American Foreign Legion.” Since 2001, the Army has been at war while the nation has been at the shopping mall. It is sad. Many assume the military is like the fire department, a place for people who like excitement to have a career.
History made life very different in 1969. The U.S. drafted Jesus and many others— to replenish the killed and wounded during the lengthy fighting in Vietnam. Recently there was interest in the issue of drafting women if the need ever arises again. The military and the public prefer a volunteer force. This was also the case in 1861, 1917 and 1941. History is not always predictable or pleasant. The amount of military activity in the world today is astounding. From Korea to Africa to the Middle East, even Europe, there is violence. Some adversaries have nuclear weapons. Let’s hope for the best.
Rest in peace, Jesus De Leon. It was a pleasure to know you. Thank you for your service.
Jan Scruggs: Remembering Jesus De Leon: gentle soul, draftee, Vietnam vet
Posted from armytimes.com
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 2
Suspended Profile
Edited 8 y ago
Posted 8 y ago
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL - May God bless you and all who served with you. I am so sorry we could not save all those who passed through our hospital doors . . . but we really tried. I was just at the memorial last weekend . . . and amazed by how many individual troops and families were visiting. Far too many we could not save . . . lost but most certainly not forgotten. Deepest Regrets, Sandy
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
8 y
1LT Sandy Annala well said and thank you for your service as well. A PICTURE IS WORTH A 1,000 WORDS. Well depicted! Amen!
(1)
(0)
SGT Philip Roncari
8 y
1LT Sandy Annala-Words cannot express thank you!
(0)
(0)
CMDCM Gene Treants
8 y
1LT Sandy Annala Regrets are really for only not doing your best and I do not you or the people you worked with ever gave less then 100%. Thanks for all you did and do.
(0)
(0)
Posted 8 y ago
Thanks for mentioning and honoring the memory and service of E-4 Jesus De Leon a draftee from Texas who served and died with the 199th Infantry Brigade in Vietnam SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL. In the history of warfare there have most likely been well over 1 billion soldiers like Jesus De Leon who were drafted or pressed into military service and mortally wounded or killed for the cause they were fighting for.
Thankfully since Florence Nightingale successfully integrated combat nursing into the Crimean war in the 1850s millions of wounded and sick soldiers and other service members have been nursed back to health. My paternal grandfather was wounded as a British Lance Corporal in the Trench warfare of WWI. I expect that most of us have known service members who have been saved by the grace of God through combat or other trauma medical capabilities while most of us have known service members killed in action or who died as a result of it.
Thanks to all who served or serve in military medicine. You have impacted many more than you could possibly know.
1LT Sandy Annala MAJ (Join to see) CPT (Join to see) LTC Paul Labrador CPT Barbara Smith BG (Join to see)
Thankfully since Florence Nightingale successfully integrated combat nursing into the Crimean war in the 1850s millions of wounded and sick soldiers and other service members have been nursed back to health. My paternal grandfather was wounded as a British Lance Corporal in the Trench warfare of WWI. I expect that most of us have known service members who have been saved by the grace of God through combat or other trauma medical capabilities while most of us have known service members killed in action or who died as a result of it.
Thanks to all who served or serve in military medicine. You have impacted many more than you could possibly know.
1LT Sandy Annala MAJ (Join to see) CPT (Join to see) LTC Paul Labrador CPT Barbara Smith BG (Join to see)
(2)
Comment
(0)
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
8 y
LTC Stephen F. thank you for your STELLAR response! Great historical narrative and personal medical experience through generations makes the point in case. Well said and articulately conveyed response that is very sentimental too me. I have been to combat 6 times and blown up twice (IED) medicine made an impact also to nurse me back but, I thank God each and every day for his grace and mercy ultimately. Too God be the Glory!
(1)
Reply
(0)
CPT (Join to see)
8 y
Thank you Sir. Probably the greatest feeling in the world is being able to care for my Soldiers. Everyone who walked into my office walked out as a part of my Family. Although it took some time to accept the lack of combat, I am still so grateful that I had the ability to impact Soldiers around me and save them from making horrid decisions without complete information.
I have been putting together a talk on the evolution of combat medicine, and the changes are amazing!! To think that 100 years ago, you had less than a 10% chance of surviving from point of injury, and now if you survive the first hour then you have approximately a 93% chance!!! Thanks to those on the battlefields that are pushing the envelope, and all that are making sure my Docs (and nurses/physicians/etc) are safe as well. Bring them all home safe if at all possible.
v/r,
CPT Butler
I have been putting together a talk on the evolution of combat medicine, and the changes are amazing!! To think that 100 years ago, you had less than a 10% chance of surviving from point of injury, and now if you survive the first hour then you have approximately a 93% chance!!! Thanks to those on the battlefields that are pushing the envelope, and all that are making sure my Docs (and nurses/physicians/etc) are safe as well. Bring them all home safe if at all possible.
v/r,
CPT Butler
(1)
Reply
(0)
Posted 8 y ago
Grant them all eternal rest and refreshment, O Lord. Thank you, SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL, for sharing this article.
(2)
Comment
(0)
Read This Next