Neighbors consider recruiter hero

  • Published
  • By Capt. Amy Render Bartholomew
  • Air Force Recruiting Service Public Affairs
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Black smoke billowed up from the roof as Jamie Leonard hurried to call 911 and her husband limped off toward the smoke. 

Tech. Sgt. Patrick Leonard, a recruiter with the 347th Recruiting Squadron, was the first to respond to a house fire in his Chicago neighborhood Nov 18. 

Around 10 a.m. Sergeant Leonard was heading to a doctor appointment for treatment on a blood clot in his brain when he noticed black smoke coming from his neighbor's house. Having just had recent knee surgery, he hurried as fast as he could toward the smoke. 

"I ran over to see if everyone was okay," Sergeant Leonard, a five-year recruiter, said. "There were no cars [in the driveway], but I figured I better check to make sure everyone was safe." 

As he neared the house, smoke turned to flames. The recruiter beat on the door. The only person home was a teenager watching a movie, unaware to the fact that the house had caught on fire. 

As the flames grew, the wind shifted melting the siding off on the house next door. What began as one house fire had turned into two. 

Seeing multiple cars in that driveway, Sergeant Leonard banged on their door alerting the five house members of the situation. 

The fire department arrived to the new subdivision in time to stop the second fire from causing major damage to the house, while the first home was almost completely destroyed. 

"It was scary to see really black smoke and to see someone's house in your neighborhood burning down," said Jamie Leonard, Sergeant Leonard's wife. 

"Sergeant Leonard amazes me," Master Sgt. Joseph Minor, 347th RCS D Flight chief, said. "He recently had knee surgery, then four days after his surgery he got airlifted by Life Flight due to a increasing pressure in his head."

Doctors thought he might need brain surgery and diagnosed him with a blood clot in his brain. 

"Last thing I had heard from Sergeant Leonard was him complaining that he couldn't even play his Xbox due to his pounding head and the drugs he was on; that poor guy has had more health issues. The very next day he is the neighborhood hero," Sergeant Minor said. 

When Jamie was asked how she felt about her husband helping with his current medical condition, she replied, "You don't think about yourself getting hurt; you just do what needs to be done."