Memorial to Ferndale Reservist to be Dedicated in Berkley

A monument in honor of Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Leach will be dedicated Saturday, April 27, 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.

"(Leach) was really well put together, very comfortable with himself and who he was and who his family was," Post 374 Judge Advocate Dale Goodcourage said. "He never bad-lipped anyone. I wish we had more patriots like him."

The reservist from Ferndale died while on active duty in Kandahar, Afghanistan, leaving behind his wife Sarah, whom he met in the first grade, and their infant son Jack. He had previously served two tours in Iraq.

The Berkley memorial will include a United States flag and a Fallen Soldier Battle Cross monument – a pair of boots with a helmet and an upside-down rifle that is normally made out of bronze, stands about 4 feet tall and sits on a slab of granite about 2 feet tall, Goodcourage said.

The following words will be 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 will be 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 really going to be some closure for his wife Sarah and an opening for his son and all the kids who've lost their moms and dads," Goodcourage said.

If you go

• When: 11 a.m. Saturday, April 27.
• Where: American Legion Post 374, 2079 W. 12 Mile Road, Berkley.
• What else: Twelve Mile Road will be closed during the ceremony; directions will be given upon arrival. Post 374's lounge will be open after the dedication.

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• Berkley Pub Crawl to Honor Fallen Ferndale Reservist
• American Legion Post 374 to Hold Memorial Fundraiser
• U.S. Flags Lowered in Honor of Fallen Ferndale Soldier
• Remains of Late Ferndale Soldier Return Home
• Ferndale Soldier Dies in Afghanistan