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Two local students were chosen as winners of the 2013 Kiwanis “Interview a Veteran” essay contest. Michael Stephens, a ninth grader at Kenwood High School, was winner for the high school division, and Christian Harris, a seventh grader from Clarksville Academy, took top honors for the middle school division. Read the winning essays below.
Sergeant Lee Clayton, Why I Served and how it Changed My Life
By Michael Stephens, 9th Grade, Kenwood High School
“Wow! You were an Army James Bond?”
Mr. Clayton chuckled deeply and clarified, “My job title was Electronic Warfare Cryptologic Analyst.”
Mr. Clayton is what I call “A great guy”. He is a math and physical education teacher at a local elementary school, tremendous athlete (Iowa long distance running champion back in the day), and a friendly, supportive neighbor. He is always ready with a smile and wave from the back yard. I would have never guessed he had been a decoder for national defense. I waited eagerly to hear his story.
In 1985 Mr. Clayton was a starving seminary college student. He had run out of money for tuition and was working two menial jobs. What he really wanted to do was work as
a natural photo journalist. Unfortunately, he needed training and jobs were scarce. A supportive neighbor, interestingly a WWII Holocaust survivor, pulled some strings and arranged for Mr. Clayton to meet a couple of military recruiters in Des Moines. Competition for photo journalism in the military was stiff and preliminary testing was required. The test consisted of fifty trigonometry questions. Mr. Clayton made a 100%. Then he took two additional two hour tests, which he also aced. His scores in reasoning and logic were high and he had an aptitude for language. (He had learned Greek and Hebrew in seminary school.) He was recommended for the National Intelligence University (NIU) in Washington, DC. Thus his career goals shifted and he began his study of national defense.
Not only was NIU extremely selective, it was also nearly impossible to pass the six month course. Not one student passed in the two years previous to Mr. Clayton and he was the only graduate out of his class of twenty. This supported the depth of Mr. Clayton’s talent, as most of his fellow students were college graduates and there were even a few with PhDs. The school required perfection, an abstract way of thinking and the academic load was very stressful. Simultaneously, there were many security clearances to pass. Mr. Clayton was hooked up to a machine and questioned for hours on several occasions. His family was investigated as well as many people from his hometown. He admitted that much of the time he was scared but that prayer helped him get through it.
Mr. Clayton was not able to disclose the details of any his assignments as a Warfare Specialist. He did tell me that the most rewarding part of his job was feeling very accomplished after he graduated from NIU. It trained him to be disciplined and focused. There were times when he spent 24 hours straight in a “Think Tank” until he was able to break a code. Some codes had information concerning terrorism but at other times he used his talents for peaceful purposes. The Army taught him Farsi, a Persian Language used in Afghanistan, which was helpful in negotiations and written correspondence. The most fun he had was attending the 101st Airborne Division Air Assault School at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. In fact, he still holds the record for shortest time to complete a five mile run with a 50 pound backpack full of equipment.
I want to thank Mr. Clayton for sharing his story with me and for serving in the military from 1985 to 1989. I learned several important lessons. First, I realized that there is an application for learning math and deductive reasoning. Second, I learned that it is important to be open to new ideas and opportunities. Third, Mr. Clayton’s success is credited to his hard work and persistency. Lastly, and most importantly, I learned that you don’t have to be out on the battle field carrying a gun to be a military hero. Mr. Clayton potentially saved millions of lives through decoding messages and serving as an interpreter for negotiations. Wow! That’s better than James Bond!
Christian Harris and Senator Mark Green
Leroy Davis: How I Was Treated During and After My Service
by Christian Harris, 7th Grade, Clarksville Academy
Imagine yourself in the middle of the Ardenne Forest. Artillery shells are bursting in the treetops and snow is twelve to fifteen inches deep on the ground. This is exactly the kind of situation that Sergeant First Class Leroy Davis and his squad found themselves in during the decisive World War II, Battle of the Bulge. Sergeant Davis provided support by serving as a mortarman for his Company. Soldiers from his Division had to fight not only a fierce German assault, but bitter temperatures as low as 10-30 degrees below zero.
Sergeant Davis’s journey began in September of 1944. During this time, the 99th Infantry Division received orders to go overseas. The Division was divided into three parts and loaded onto three separate trains. This was to assure that the entire Division would not be totally lost should there be an act of sabotage aboard one of the trains. Sergeant Davis headed north through Missouri and into Canada eventually making his way to Boston. There he boarded the Explorer Liberty Ship, which transported his Division to Scotland. After thirteen days of traveling across a rough ocean, he finally arrived at Scotland on October 11, 1944. His Division would soon realize that the warmth and comfort of Scotland would be a far cry from the frozen fields of the Ardeene Forest.
It was a daily struggle for a young soldier of twenty-one to stay alive in the many battles during this part of the war. Sergeant Davis remembers several occasions where he was almost killed in action. One afternoon he and his squad found an abandoned house to get some much-needed rest. The next morning an artillery shell landed just outside the window causing shrapnel to strike one of his buddies in the head. The wounded soldier was taken off by a field ambulance. Another incident had Sergeant Davis talking to a close friend who was sheltered in a foxhole. Upon returning to his mortar position, an artillery round landed close to where Sergeant Davis was formally standing, thus resulting in the death of his friend.
If you talk to any soldier serving today or from any previous war, they will tell you that the most important thing is to look out for each other. Because of this, many lifetime friendships are established. Everywhere Sergeant Davis went, he received words of encouragement and appreciation for his part in the war. When Germany finally surrendered and American troops were allowed to come home, Sergeant Davis never got to be a part of the parades. Since he was not among the first to be deployed to the European Campaign, he had to wait a few months before returning back to the States. Because of this, he missed out on many celebrations.
It is an honor and a privilege anytime anyone can interview a World War II Veteran. They can provide a valuable insight about the war that cannot be found in textbooks today. Sergeant Davis would say that the true heroes of the war are lying buried in the fields of honor throughout Europe. Because of his sacrifice and the sacrifice of countless other brave men, I am living in a country today enjoying the freedoms they provided. If respect can be measured in bravery, Sergeant Leroy Davis and his fellow soldiers have earned a place in our hearts forever.