5th ANGLICO honors fallen Marine with special memento

Photo By Master Sgt. Bryan Peterson | Cpl. Christopher Leon's shadow box contains a flag, rank insignia and his awards as well as an inscription that reads: "My sacrifice is your comfort."  

CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, JAPAN

11.20.2006

Story by Cpl. Bryan Peterson 

III Marine Expeditionary Force   

By Lance Cpl. Bryan A. Peterson
III Marine Expeditionary Force PAO

CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, Japan -- When Aimey C. Vaccaro's Marine boyfriend proposed to her during a call home from Iraq in May, she immediately accepted.

She began making plans, envisioning their future - walking down the aisle, honeymooning in Hawaii and having children. Vaccaro also planned to join her future husband, Cpl. Christopher Leon, a field radio operator with 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, at his unit's Marine Corps Ball Nov. 20 on Camp Hansen.

Instead, she found herself making the long trip to Okinawa for a far more solemn ceremony that day, one honoring the memory of her fallen fiancŽ, who was killed in action about a month after their engagement.

On June 20, Leon was conducting combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq, with a platoon from Camp Lejeune's 2nd ANGLICO when an enemy sniper took his life.

During the Nov. 20 ceremony, 5th ANGLICO Marines hung a shadow box in the entrance to their headquarters building containing a flag, rank insignia and Leon's awards. An inscription reads: "My sacrifice is your comfort."

Friends and loved ones who gathered for the ceremony recalled Leon's compassion and strength.

"He was a genuine person who always had a big heart," Vaccaro said. "He used to wake up every morning back in California and cook for everybody. He never let a minute go by without having anything planned."

In addition to his big heart, everyone who knew him, especially the Marines in his company, always saw him with a smile on his face and treating everyone equally, said Cpl. Kyle Taylor, a fire support man with 5th ANGLICO and one of Leon's closest friends.

"It's like you could never get rid of his smile, no matter what," Taylor said. "He's probably one of the fairest individuals I've ever known."

Capt. Adam W. Blanton, Leon's platoon commander in Iraq, said no matter what situation arose in the war-torn country, Leon remained positive and sometimes humorous.

"If explosions were going off or the enemy was shooting at us it didn't seem to bother him," Blanton said.

Blanton recalled a memorable building clearing techniques he and Leon used during a mission in Iraq. As the Marines were cleared to move in, Leon ran up a flight of stairs and attempted at least four times to kick in the door to the rooftop before Blanton turned the knob and opened it inward. Together they took positions on the roof, both laughing the whole time.

Blanton said Leon carried the heaviest load in the platoon under the hot Iraqi sun and never complained.

"We all had our regular packs on our backs, but he had that and an extra 25 pounds of radio equipment," he said. "He wasn't the one to have someone else carry his load. He just smiled as we patrolled anywhere we went. Leon was the person that sergeants would look up to."

Leon's death marks the first time an ANGLICO Marine has been killed in action since the Vietnam War, according to Maj. Bruce A. Czaja, the company's executive officer.

"We started to feel bulletproof since we haven't had any casualties," Czaja said. "We felt a degree of invincibility. When it happens, it really hurts."

When Leon was replaced in Iraq by another field radio operator, Blanton said things were never the same.

"The new guy was just as effective as Leon was," he said. "But when Leon left, I felt a part of me left as well. I can definitely say I lost a good friend out there."

Leon was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device.

Leon's other awards include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

Leon's shadow box will tell the story of his accomplishments, his contribution to the ANGLICO mission and his sacrifice for years to come.

"He might not physically be here now, but he's still in our hearts, prayers and memories," Vaccaro said.

• Date Taken: 11.20.2006
• Date Posted: 12.05.2006 08:55
• Story ID: 8477
• Location: CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, JP