Marine Corporal Michael Ledsome, 24, of Austin, TX died Saturday fighting in Iraq.
Cpl. Ledsome was a member of Marine Jump Platoon, Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, whose job it was to create and maintain vehicle check points along the most dangerous roads in and around Bahgdad.
Being a Marine was a family tradition for the Ledsomes. Michael joined with his brother. Together they were following in the footsteps of their father.
Saturday, Ledsome was in a firefight near the Anbar province when he was shot and killed.
His grandmother said he was recently out of the hospital, injured back in August when a road side bomb exploded near his convoy.
Ledsome joined the Marines shortly after marrying Megan Smith in Austin. The couple has a two-year-old son.
His father says Michael loved his family and his country, and that he was always smiling. His grandmother says the loss is very hard on the family.
Cpl. Ledsome joined the Marine Corps a couple of years ago with his younger brother, Brad. My brother Marty and I joined the Army together back in 1990 — on a rainy Saturday we went to visit a Recruiter instead of going surfing like we had planned. I understand the bond that these two brothers must have shared, and the conflicting feelings of pride and pain that Brad must be feeling.
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According to this AP story, 53 Texas service members have died in Iraq in 2006 alone — more than any other state in the country this year.
I’ve ridden with the Patriot Guard Riders to the funerals of 14 of them. Cpl. Ledsome will be the 15th. He is the second Austinite (both Marines, the other was SGT George M. Ulloa Jr., who was buried in Austin in August) to die for our country this year.
God Speed, Corporal Ledsome. May your family take comfort in the fact that you were doing your best to make the world a better place.
God bless this fine solider’s family and his soul.
Left by kw on November 29th, 2006 at 11:07 am