Tribute to Captain Leland E. Payne

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Silver Star, Bronze Star, Two Purple Hearts and Oak Leaf Cluster Air Medal. Grave Marker Arlington National Cemetery

"Leland Eugene Payne, 66, of Ash, died Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014, at his home surrounded by his family.
Mr. Payne was born Dec. 9, 1947, in Riverdale, Md., a son of the late Joyce Taylor. He was raised by the late Arlo Wendell and Marya Szocki Adams.
He was a U.S. Army veteran, serving two tours in Vietnam. Achieving the rank of captain, he demonstrated unselfish leadership with his platoon. He was the true leader through the jungle and rice paddies, where he earned two Purple Hearts from tripping separate booby traps at two different times. He will always be remembered for sacrificing his own life for others. He also was the past chief of Monroe Police Department in Monroe, Ga., and later retired from the U.S. Postal Service. He enjoyed coaching football, baseball and soccer with Brunswick County Parks and Recreation. He was the co-founder of Anointed Vessels Ministry in Ash. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 23, 2015, in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors."
Published by The Brunswick Beacon from Sep. 30 to Oct. 10, 2014.
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On his first tour of duty he was a platoon leader. His unit worked with both the Korean Tiger Scouts and the Navy Riverboats. When he was injured my sister Diane, went to Hawaii to be with him until he recovered. Then He volunteered to go back to his platoon.

On his second tour, this time as a Captain, He spent most of his time in Saigon. I don't recall his mission there.

Leland, ten years older than I, my brother-in-law, but more so as a brother and friend. He taught me how to hunt and drive a stick-shift when I was thirteen. Each year he would tell the family, "Don't but a turkey because we will bring it back from our hunting trip! Well, they always bought turkey, and it was ready when we came home. Good thing. Because we never got that turkey! :)

We did a lot of horseback riding and camping too.

I think we visited every Revolutionary & Civil War battlefield park from Georgia to Maryland!