Indiana Stories

Richard Leibering, DeGonia Springs & Newburgh

RICHARD LEIBERING
(Nominated by Rebecca Hill and Sandi Fortune)
Baker Chapel and Seventh-Day Adventist Church
November 6, 2010

If you were to meet my uncle today, you would walk away never knowing that he spends most of his waking hours in pain.  Many years ago, my uncle chose to dedicate his life to serving this great nation, and he has done that each and every day for years.  My favorite movie is A Few Good Men because it points out the reason that I respect my uncle so much.  It is because he stood upon a wall and said, “Nothing’s going to hurt you tonight, not on my watch.”

Since my uncle dedicated his life to the service of this country as a young man, he has served his country during the Vietnam War and also Desert Storm.  To this day he does not want to discuss his first tour of duty during a war when returning soldiers received no honor.  Although he received a hero’s welcome from Desert Storm, each and every day he suffers as a result of effects of some exposure he encountered.  However, if you asked my uncle how he is, he would smile and say that he is fine.  He never dwells on the negative; he is always focusing on what is positive.  I think that this honor is a great thing, and I pray that you select my uncle for this because he has been an amazing American Soldier. Thank you for what you are doing.