Army Staff Sgt. John J. Cleaver’s life was a testament to the type of person he was.
His death magnifies the message: He was willing to give all for his country and his fellow man.
Cleaver, 36, of the 82nd Airborne Division, was killed Thursday in the Zabul province of Afghanistan. He died while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Cleaver and other soldiers were delivering supplies to a forward operating base when a truck pulled up beside them and exploded. Cleaver and at least one other soldier were killed, and several were injured by the suicide bomber.
“He gave his all,” Teresa Cleaver, of Joplin, said of her son’s devotion to duty.
Cleaver grew up in the Joplin area, attending schools in Joplin and in Galena, Kan.
He was deployed to Afghanistan again in July. This was his fourth deployment to a war zone.
His service to his country, his mother said, was the second most important thing in his life. His two sons, Collin, 12, and Aidan, 10, came first.
Cleaver was a highly decorated soldier and will receive two more medals, the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.
But it wasn’t the medals and ribbons on his uniform that made Cleaver a hero.
It was his actions.
Today, we pay tribute to this true American hero, who also happened to be the boy next door.
Thank you, Sgt. Cleaver.
