'It's Even More Beautiful Than I Thought': Memorial to Fallen Reservist Dedicated

A monument in honor of Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Leach was dedicated during a solemn ceremony Saturday at American Legion Post 374 in Berkley.

The reservist from Ferndale became an honorary member of Post 374 when he served as Berkley CruiseFest grand marshal in 2011. He died June 26, 2012, while on active duty in Afghanistan, leaving behind his wife Sarah and their infant son Jack.

"For me, I got some closure at the funeral, but being here and seeing everyone come together and getting this monument finished means a lot," Jonathan Hamilton, 29, said. Hamilton, who served with Leach, was one of five reservists who helped unveil the monument.

The Berkley memorial includes a United States flag and a Fallen Soldier Battle Cross monument – a pair of boots with a helmet and an upside-down rifle that sits on a slab of granite.

"Know this, the worst thing that can happen is not dying for your country, but being forgotten," Post 374 Judge Advocate Dale Goodcourage said in his remarks to the hundreds of people gathered for the dedication. "From this day forward, on these grounds in this area, there shall be no forgetting."

The following words are inscribed on the granite slab.

For those who lay down their lives so we may stand
You are never forgotten
In Memory of
SSG Matthew Leach 82nd Airborne
Ferndale MI-June 26, 2012

Nearby is a bench known as "Jack's Bench," where Leach's son and other children who have lost their parents in the service can sit and reflect.

"It's even more beautiful than I thought," said Sarah Leach, who was greeted by friends and family members, many of whom gently patted the shoes of 18-month-old Jack Hunter Leach as he slept next to her in his stroller. "I am excited that Jack will always have it."