Ceremony to honor Gilbert firefighter/vet

A Gilbert firefighter who recently returned to his job after a second tour of duty in Iraq will be honored Tuesday at the town’s fourth annual Veterans Day ceremony.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Leo Hess came back to town in June after a little more than a year away. He spent most of the time in Baghdad gathering intelligence for U.S. generals on the readiness of Iraqi forces to take over security in the region.

He can’t say too much about what his chief duties were there.

But his second job, which was nearly as important, was putting out fires within the ranks below him as men and women dealt with the stresses of deployment and being away from their families.

“It can be like a prison. You’re a soldier, but you’re locked in here, and after a while the stress can get to you,” Hess said.

Still, this tour was less nerve-racking than his first time in Iraq, as part of the initial push into the country in 2003: “This time, it was more of a mental challenge,” he said.

Returning to civilian life this time, with his wife, Tamara, and dogs Noah and Jonah, was the easiest transition Hess said he ever experienced. He credits fellow civilians who he said seem to make every day Veterans Day by thanking him and other soldiers for their service, even though many aren’t doing it for the recognition.

“Everyone’s response is always 'thank you.’ Without their support, a lot of us wouldn’t be able to carry on the mission,” he said.

Hess, who turns 32 next week, began working for Gilbert in 2006. He has been an Army reservist since he went through basic training between his junior and senior years of high school.

He’s just re-enlisted for six more years, so he can retire with 20 years of service at age 37. He is one of about 13 Gilbert employees who have taken military leave in the last two years, said Beth Lucas, town spokeswoman.

Mayor John Lewis will present a Veterans Day proclamation to Hess during an 11:30 a.m. ceremony at the Gilbert Municipal Center, 50 E. Civic Center Drive. The keynote speaker will be Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, a Navy veteran.

Several color guards will bear flags, and there will be military vehicles on display. The Mesquite High School wind ensemble will play patriotic music under the direction of Ron Andre, and lunch will be served following the ceremony.

Town Councilman John Sentz has helped put together Gilbert’s Veterans Day ceremony since 2005. The event draws as many as 250 to the municipal center. Sentz said the crowds have been growing every year, and organizers hope that 300 will show up this time around.

Sentz spent 34 years as a Navy reservist before retiring as a captain. He is regional director of the Naval War College Foundation. On Oct. 30, he was one of 19 inductees into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame. He was nominated by former Maricopa County Attorney Richard Romley, who is himself in the hall of fame.

“I keep wondering how I got in there,” Sentz said. “There are a lot of really important people in there, from a chief justice of the Supreme Court (William Rehnquist) to Barry Goldwater.”