America's Memory

Jacob Leicht always liked that he was born on the Fourth of July. Who else gets a parade on their birthday? Some may not like sharing their special day with another holiday, but he embraced it. On a day when America celebrates its independence and freedoms, it seemed like destiny that Leicht’s life would be dedicated in service to America. That ultimately, he’d give his life for his country on Memorial Day weekend. If that wasn’t enough, that he’d be the 1,000th service member killed in Afghanistan theatre of war according to the Department of Defense. It’s certainly not a number anyone wants to report but rather serves as a marker to the sacrifice our service members, and their families, have made in fighting the War on Terror. If the irony were not already thick enough in his life, Leicht was never supposed to return to combat after suffering a horrific injury in Iraq. Doctors wanted to take his leg and told him he’d never return to combat. He faced dozens of surgeries and months of rehabilitation. However,