March 29, 2024 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Leemon to be honored Sunday

St. Joseph will honor one of its heroes on Sept. 6 at 6 p.m.

Sgt. Dustin Leemon of the United States Marine Corps will be honored for his service.

Leemon, who currently lives in Denver with his wife Meghan, served from 2007 to 2013.

After completing boot camp in San Diego, he continued his military training in North Carolina where he became a combat engineer, specializing in demolitions and mine clearing techniques.

Leemon then joined the 6th Engineer Support Batallion out of Peoria.

In 2009, Leemon received orders to support the 7th Engineer Support Batallion who would deploy to the Helmand Province in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

During this deployment, Leemon was tasked with convoy security as a machine gunner, and along with his unit, completed approximately 120 re-supply missions to various outposts in the region. Leemon returned state-side in July of 2010.

During his tenure, Leemon was awarded as the company high marksman in boot camp, was a 3-time rifle expert, and a pistol expert. Leemon earned a Meritorious Mast for Excellence in Leadership and organized various training initiatives for his unit to ensure they were operationally ready.

The 33 year-old will be presented with his St. Joseph military services sign at the St. Joseph Sports Complex. The signs are currently on light poles downtown for active service members.

“He and his wife, along with his two brothers and families will be visiting their mother, St.Joseph resident Barb Leemon,” said Village Trustee Dan Davis. “It is a rare occasion that all members of this family are all together at the same time.”

Davis spearheaded the effort to honor Leemon.

“Dustin is a close friend of mine. I recognized this unique opportunity and the timing possibility of all his families being together at the same time to witness and celebrate his Military Service,” he said.

Davis said anyone attending the event should be wear a mask and follow current state COVID-19 social distancing guidelines.

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