COLUMBUS GROVE — There are heroes, and then there are those who are on an even higher plateau.
They set the standards for heroes to live up to.
Columbus Grove graduate Justin LeHew is one of those elite in that latter group.
The highly decorated U.S. Marine knew from an early age that he wanted to pursue a career in the military. He credits his hometown area to his sense of duty to his country.
“I always credit the area I grew up in,” LeHew said. “It had an extreme effect on how I turned out. They are hardworking, patriotic people.”
LeHew said he couldn’t go three or four houses away from his own home as a youngster without finding a veteran. He said it truly inspired him as a young man.
“They were the ones that did it before me,” LeHew said.
He also credits his grandmother, who he said taught him to never be late.
“She said it meant that you thought your time was more valuable than someone else’s,” LeHew said. “With the environment I grew up in, it made boot camp easy.”
At 46 years old, LeHew is a sergeant major in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is serving as the head of Training and Education Command at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. The very same men he is in charge of training must conquer an obstacle named in his honor at Parris Island, South Carolina. “LeHew’s Challenge” is an eight-foot high suspended log supported by two pedestals that is part of the 54-hour crucible event that culminates basic training. LeHew said he has an approach to what he expects in training.
“We have a saying, the more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in war,” LeHew said. “We put everything we can into training. We try to bring realism, so that when they train when the bullets are not flying, they know what to do when they are flying.”
It would be hard to find anyone with better experience in a wartime setting. He has been awarded the Navy Cross for his actions in March 2003 during the initial invasion of Iraq for rescue some of his fellow Marines under fire. The award citation reads:
“For extraordinary heroism as Amphibious Assault Platoon Sergeant, Company A, Task Force Tarawa, I Marine Expeditionary Force in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on 23 and 24 March 2003. As Regimental Combat Team 2 attacked north towards An Nasiriyah, Iraq, lead elements of the Battalion came under heavy enemy fire. When the beleaguered United States Army 507th Maintenance Company convoy was spotted in the distance, Gunnery Sergeant Lehew and his crew were dispatched to rescue the soldiers. Under constant enemy fire, he led the rescue team to the soldiers. With total disregard for his own welfare, he assisted the evacuation effort of four soldiers, two of whom were critically wounded. While still receiving enemy fire, he climbed back into his vehicle and immediately began suppressing enemy infantry. During the subsequent company attack on the eastern bridge over the Euphrates River, Gunnery Sergeant Lehew continuously exposed himself to withering enemy fire during the three-hour urban firefight. His courageous battlefield presence inspired his Marines to fight a determined foe and allowed him to position his platoon’s heavy machine guns to repel numerous waves of attackers. In the midst of the battle, an Amphibious Assault Vehicle was destroyed, killing or wounding all its occupants. Gunnery Sergeant Lehew immediately moved to recover the nine Marines. He again exposed himself to a barrage of fire as he worked for nearly an hour recovering casualties from the wreckage. By his outstanding display of decisive leadership, unlimited courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, and utmost devotion to duty, Gunnery Sergeant Lehew reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.”
LeHew has earned numerous other awards in combat. In August 2004, he earned the Bronze Star for his actions against the Mahdi Army of Moqtada al-Sadr. LeHew drew enemy sniper fire away, allowing others to maneuver and neutralize the position. He also carried another Marine out of the Wadi A Salaam cemetery in his arms with a sucking chest wound over 300 meters under fire, saving the man’s life.
LeHew is now featured in a book, “American Warfighter: Brotherhood, Survival and Uncommon Valor in Iraq” by J. Pepper Bryars.
LeHew said many people are now reaching out to veterans, but that there were still many who portrayed the modern military man in the wrong way.
“The greatest thing about today’s military is, unlike World War II, Korea or Vietnam, today they are all volunteers,” LeHew said. “That is the biggest difference. They joined with the understanding that they would likely be going to war. A lot of people cannot get their head wrapped around that.”
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