- Date Of Birth: November 27, 1940
- Date Of Death: September 1, 2020
- State: Florida
Leon J. Roy, IV, CSM, US Army Retired, a true American Patriot of Tallahassee, passed away on Tuesday, September 1, 2020, while surrounded by his loving family. Born in Amesbury, Massachusetts on November 27, 1940, he was a son of the late Leon J. Roy, III, a World War II Navy Veteran and the late Madeline Doyle Roy. A brother, Gary Roy, also has preceded him in death.
Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Marie Evelyn Walker Roy; sons, Leon Roy, V (Melissa) and Gary Albert Roy (Christi); grandsons, Leon J. Roy, VI, Hunter Roy, Parker Roy and Zack Holloway; brothers, Gary Roy (Sharon) and Richard Roy (Kim), and sisters, Janet Sutherland (Evelyn Manning) and Nancy Davies (Jim). Numerous nieces and nephews also survive. Following his father’s footsteps, he enlisted in the US Navy in December 1957 and served on the USS Boston Guided Missile Cruiser until his discharge in April 1962. He then enlisted in the US Army in August 1962 and completed Basic Training School and Jump School at Ft. Benning. Although scheduled for an assignment with a Special Forces unit at Ft. Bragg, he was put on Emergency Requisition Orders to V Corps (LRRP) 3779 in Frankfurt, Germany. His unit became known as the best marching unit in V Corps and performed at many ceremonies and dignitaries’’ visits. He later served in Vietnam and was wounded by shrapnel on March 29, 1966. Following Vietnam, he finally received an assignment to a Special Forces Unit at Ft. Bragg.
He was then assigned to the 46th Special Forces in Thailand where he primarily trained Thai Special Forces for border operations between Thailand and South Vietnam. Following a return to Ft. Bragg to attend the Vietnamese Language School, he was trained to advise Vietnamese and Cambodian forces on counterinsurgency operations. Patriot Roy was also selected to train Cambodian military forces in Nha Trang, South Vietnam. Patriot Roy was promoted to Master Sergeant (E8) and was assigned to the 1st Battalion Infantry as their Operations Sergeant. In June 1973, he became a first sergeant with the 42nd Company, Airborne which led to his selection for the Sergeant Major’s Academy at Ft. Bliss, Texas. He retired on November 1, 1980, with the final rank of Command Sergeant Major (CSM E-9), having received numerous awards and decorations including: Combat Infantry Badge, Master Parachutist Wings, Vietnam Jump Wings, Thailand Jump Wings, Legion of Merit, Soldiers Medal, Bronze Star with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart, Air Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Navy Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnamese Service Medal, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star, Vietnam Medal, as well as several others.
He is a life member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart and has served as Commander of Chapter 758 for two years. Patriot Roy has also been inducted into The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor. Following his retirement from the military, he became an instructor for the JROTC program with the Gadsden County School System, and later worked for State of Florida Emergency Management. He was a member at Chapel Hill Baptist Church and enjoyed fishing.
