Stephen Leon, a Bronze Star Recipient serving as Parade Marshal, rendered a military salute during the official Memorial Day Exercises held at City Hall as wreaths were positioned at the City’s War Memorials in solemn tribute. On the night of April 2, 2011, while Leon stood guard at Camp Phoenix in Afghanistan, he demonstrated extraordinary bravery by putting himself in harm’s way to shield several hundred sleeping Marines from a coordinated terrorist assault. A lifelong resident of Chelsea with a distinguished military career, Leon’s actions that night would define his service.
The Monday morning parade down Broadway in Chelsea represented a stark contrast to the events of April 2, 2011. As Stephen Leon marched down the town’s main thoroughfare as grand marshal, the memories of that fateful night in Afghanistan weighed heavily on his mind—the moment when he and his fellow guardians of Camp Phoenix faced attackers determined to breach the barracks housing thousands of sleeping soldiers.
That act of valor earned Leon the Bronze Star.
The assault came suddenly. Members of the night watch, including Leon, came under a ferocious onslaught involving small arms fire, hand grenades, and two suicide bomber insurgents intent on reaching the barracks to kill thousands within.
In a 2013 Record story, Leon reflected on those harrowing moments: “fblikebutton_button” “There were 8,700 soldiers behind us and they were all sleeping in the middle of the night, so we figured it was going to be our time to die because we weren’t going to let them get to those 8,700 sleeping soldiers,” he recounted. “My partner got hit and I said to him, ‘Just keep shooting because if they get by us, it’s all done.’ I got blown up, but we stopped them.””wp-caption alignright”
Leon’s Army commendation documented his response under fire. Though struck by multiple explosions, he maintained his position and delivered effective shots that neutralized the attackers and the suicide bombers before detonation could occur.
The citation stated: “wp-caption-text” “While disoriented from a series of explosions, Specialist Leon refused to surrender ground and delivered accurate and lethal fire which prevented insurgents from gaining entry to the base. His exceptional courage, dedication to duty, care for fellow soldiers and personal sacrifice directly contributed to the successful defense of the main entry control point. His actions saved lives.””fblikebutton_button”
At Monday’s ceremony, Leon displayed characteristic modesty while recounting his commendation from General David Petraeus himself.
“wp-caption alignright” “I love being a Chelsea resident because we represent,” Leon stated with a grin. “I got all of my commendations from General Petraeus himself. He handed them over to me. When he gave them to me, he asked me what we needed to do to stop the war in Afghanistan. I said to send over more Chelsea residents and we’ll take care of this thing quickly.””wp-caption-text”
Brother to Chelsea Police Officer Robert Leon, Stephen comes from a military family—all three of his brothers have served. His commitment to military service began in childhood, when he dreamed of such a career while playing with his GI Joe toys.