These patriots came from all walks of life and backgrounds—from neighborhoods in our great cities to the hills and plains of rural America; from descendants of the earliest generation of Americans to our newest immigrants; and from families with famous names to the humblest amongst us.
Despite the diversity of their backgrounds, these brave men and women shared this trait in common: the willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect our country and their fellow Americans.
What I would like to highlight today is the sacrifice made by service members from our Sacramento area.
When America went to war, courageous people in our region heard their country’s call and stepped up.
Take, for example, U.S. Army Sergeant John Leno, who was from Clarksburg in Yolo County.
Sergeant Leno served as a member of Company C, 38th Infantry, 2nd Infantry Division during the Korean War.
On December 22nd, 1951, a platoon of Company C moved out on a daylight patrol and assaulted a hill.
During the assault, Sergeant Leno acted as a one-man machine gun team and took his weapon to a forward position that was completely exposed.
His accurate and deadly fire caused the enemy numerous causalities and as the attack moved forward, he picked up the machine gun and, firing from his hip, charged the enemy positions.
When his machine gun jammed, he did not hesitate and continued forward storming the enemy emplacements and engaged in hand-to-hand combat.
Sergeant Leno’s heroic and determined attack bewildered and frightened the enemy soldiers and caused them to withdraw.
His valiant actions so inspired the remainder of his platoon that they followed his gallant example and rushed forward and soon occupied the hill.
Tragically, after the hill was secured, Sergeant Lena was fatally wounded by a stray mortar round.
His courageous and selfless actions not only were the main factors in routing the enemy but were also a great inspiration to all witnessing is deeds, and for his bravery in battle he was posthumously awarded the Silver Star.
Another of region’s heroes is Navy Lieutenant Richard Laws of West Sacramento, who was a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a fighter pilot during the Vietnam War.
Lieutenant Laws was a member of Attack Squadron 24 on the USS Hancock.
On April 3rd, 1966, during his second tour of duty, he took off from the deck of the Hancock.
In his many combat flights, he had never been hit. However, on this mission, as he was making a strafing run on his target in North Vietnam, he radioed that he had been hit.
Twenty seconds later, his plane hit a hillside and exploded.
Lieutenant Laws never had the chance to eject from his plane. His remains were not identified for 47 years.
Decades after his death, his wife and daughter went to Vietnam to visit the crash site.
His wife brought 357 memorial ribbons from Lieutenant Laws’ friends and classmates, and she attached them to a pole that she then tied to a tree at the crash site.
And as the ultimate tribute to Lt. Laws, his daughter Cheryl became a Navy aviator like her father.
Finally, in our current conflict in Iran, the fallen includes Army Reserve Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, who was a graduate of Elk Grove High School.
A Filipino American, Marzan had 30 years in the service and was in the final two months of his deployment to Kuwait.
He was with the 103rd Sustainment Command, which is a supply unit that was on its third deployment in the Middle East.
He was stationed just south of Kuwait City at a command center, which was hit by an Iranian missile strike.
Chief Marzan died in that attack, just short of his 55th birthday.
When his death was announced, Governor Gavin Newsom ordered flags at the State Capitol to be flown at half-staff in his honor.
The wife of one of the soldiers in his unit said that Marzan and his family served as the surrogate family for a lot of soldiers.
They would open their home for holidays, celebrations, and support during hard times, and became a steady presence for soldiers who were far from home.
His sister Elizabeth said that he was “a strong leader who lived by example. He was my hero.”
Chief Marzan, Lieutenant Laws, and Sergeant Leno–they are heroes to all of us.
All those from our Sacramento area and from across America who wore the uniform and gave up their lives so that we could enjoy the fruits of our great nation are our heroes to all of us.
On this Memorial Day, each and every American owes a debt of gratitude to our fallen warriors, our heroes.
Lance Izumi is senior director of the Center for Education at the Pacific Research Institute. He was directly commissioned as a captain in California State Military Reserve and served from 1991 to 1996.
