In a letter he wrote to me from West Point, Leonard said, “I loved Wakefield.“ Leonard began at WCDS in the 5th grade and graduated with first honors in 1999. He did everything you do. He wore a uniform and sometimes complained about the rules. In that same letter he said, “I laugh when I remember how we used to think things were strict at Wakefield; I didn’t know the meaning of strict!” He memorized the kings list, the great lOO’s, the WOD’s and the parts of speech in the Wakefield order. He competed in certamen and jousted at the Medieval Banquet; he acted in Shakespeare plays and murder mysteries; he held student offices, wrote essays and did science fair projects; He played every sport and joined most clubs and even got a respectable number of demerits.
In some ways, Leonard was just an ordinary young man. Though he did earn many awards, he seldom made headlines during his short life. So, why are we gathered here, among dignitaries to honor Leonard Cowherd, class of ’99? Why have civic organizations, countless newspapers, several TV productions and even a book publicly honored Leonard in the last six months?
Is all the attention, all the headlines because he was killed in Iraq, because he was a hero who sacrificed his life so others might be free? Certainly it was this, in part --- though he would insist that he is no hero; that he was simply doing his duty. So, why are we here today? I believe that, more than a commemoration of Leonard’s ultimate sacrifice, today we recognize and celebrate and pass on to you how he lived life.
How did Leonard live his life? As I contemplated this question and mused, with mostly smiles --- but not a few tears --- on the Leonard that I knew, I realized that the key to Leonard was quite simple, and it was this:
Whatever Leonard chose to do, and he did a great many things, whatever he did in life, he made sure it was the right thing to do and he tried to do it in the right way. Very simple, often very difficult, always rewarding. He always chose to do the right thing, and he did it in the right way --- that means with energy, and dedication, and enthusiasm, and hard work and joy and love --- because he knew that if it was the right thing to do, he should embrace the doing of it. Thus, all the ordinary things that Leonard did became extraordinary because of the way in which he did them.
Leonard was a son and a brother - he came from a wonderful family. He respected and loved and obeyed his parents and he cherished his sister and brothers; he made them all proud; he did the right thing. Leonard was a student, at WCDS and at West Point. He knew the truth contained in the “Canticle of Sirach”:
Happy the man who meditates on wisdom and reflects on knowledge, She will nourish him with the bread of understanding. He will lean on her and not fall. He will trust in her and not be put to shame. Joy and gladness he will find, an everlasting name inherit.
Leonard approached learning as though he were on a treasure hunt. He studied hard, he read voraciously, he was grateful for and never squandered the great intellectual gifts he’d been given by God. He was an extraordinary student at both Wakefield and West Point because he did it the right way.
Leonard was also an avid athlete. Though he seldom made headlines, he became a formidable athlete, participating in basketball, cross country ,lacrosse and soccer. He won several coaches awards, several all-star titles and captained many squads. He always pushed himself and trained hard; Leonard always played with zest, intensity and savvy. He was a model of sportsmanship and humility, and he always had fun. He did it all the right way.
In his social life too, Leonard chose to do the right thing. He made fun a priority, but he never compromised his morals or stained his integrity . Most festive gatherings were punctuated by Leonard’s infectious giggle; Leonard loved parties; he loved life. He was always kind and considerate and he was always a true gentleman; and because of this, he was able to find the right spouse and experience true love and fidelity with his beautiful, beloved Sarah.
Finally, Leonard knew how to choose the right thing because he was a man of God. He recognized that all the good in his life had come from God and he was grateful and humbled and obedient to God’s loving guidelines. Whatever he did as a son or a student, an athlete, a friend or husband, as a citizen or as a soldier, he did it with love, for God and for others. He spent his last months in a foreign land, away from all those he loved, but he brought love to Iraq. He spent much of his free time helping the poor people and playing with the children, and ultimately, he died so that they might one day be free from tyranny. In a letter to Sara, he said, “I truly have reached an impasse in my life, a great transition into something different. I’m anxious, very happy, a little wistful. Since the day I entered West Point, I have been waiting for this day, the day I would join a unit that had a specific job as part of an overall mission, where everyone helped each other achieve a common goal - a basic change from me helping me to me helping other people.“
If Leonard were here today, he would silence all the accolades and he would urge you to live your lives according to the exhortation in Tobit:
“Do to no one what you yourself dislike. Give to the hungry some of your bread, and to the naked some of your clothing. Seek counsel from every wise man. At all times bless the Lord God, and ask him to make all your paths straight and to grant success to all your endeavors and plans.“
Live life as Leonard lived it, and if you do this, then you will truly honor him. Do the right thing in the right way. For it was in doing the ordinary things in life in the extraordinary way - with humility , generosity, gratitude, fidelity , zest and love - it was in this way that he became the extraordinary man who died too young but who will live forever in our hearts. I would like to close with a brief quote from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet:
“When he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun.”