By By ANDY HAMILTON / Niles Daily Star
NILES – A Niles Marine serving in Iraq is recovering from wounds he suffered when the Humvee he and three other Marines was traveling in hit an improvised explosive device.
Lance Corp. Jon Leonard, a mortar man, suffered a three-inch gash behind his ear Jan. 19 when he was struck by a piece of shrapnel from the IED. His fellow Marine and good friend sitting next to him in the vehicle, Corp. Jacob Neal of Texas, was killed in the incident, Jon's mother, Janice Leonard said.
Corp. Neal came up to Michigan to join Jon's unit, Janice said, because he wanted to go right away to Iraq and his group in Texas was not scheduled to depart for some time.
"It's very hard," Janice said. "I'm thankful that Jon wasn't killed but that's something you never get over, sitting next to your buddy and seeing him killed."
Janice said the four worked very closely together. Two other Marines in the Humvee were also injured – one suffered temporary hearing loss and another wounds on both his leg and elbows, Janice said. The three are currently recovering in a hospital in Iraq, she added.
"Jon said the best therapy is having his two friends there to talk it over," Janice said.
The Marines radioed for a helicopter immediately after the incident and were transported to the hospital. Janice said her son called the next morning to notify his family before they read about it on the Internet.
Jon, a 2004 graduate of Niles High School, arrived in Iraq near the end of September – about the same time of his 21st birthday – with the 1st Battalion, 24th Marines based out of Grand Rapids. He is stationed at a small "boonies base" with no indoor plumbing, his mother said.
Jon is scheduled to return to the U.S. with his group at the end of April, and Janice said they hope to see him the first part of June after debriefing.
Jon has a biological brother Matt, a stepsister Tori and a stepbrother Matt. His father Rick joined the Patriot Guard Riders last fall.