By John Montesano –
The Fox Valley Veterans Breakfast Club named Bob LeClercq the Veteran of the Month for March.
Born in Manhattan, N.Y. February 20, 1938, Bob lived in Merrick, N.Y.. Bob’s father worked for the government. The family moved quite often. When Bob began first grade, they were living in Grand Detour, Ill.. Three years later, in June, 1946, when the family moved again, Bob’s mother insisted that they move somewhere where they could stay and they moved to Montgomery where Bob attended grade school. He was graduated from Marmion Military Academy in Aurora and attended DePaul University. In February 1958 when he ran out of money, he enlisted in the Army and attended Medical Laboratory Technician School at Brooke Army Medical Center at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas.
His first assignment was at a Milwaukee Nike site. After a short time, he was reassigned to Landstuhl, Germany at Second General Hospital, which is now Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, the largest American hospital outside of the U.S.. He worked with various departments and was responsible for gathering blood samples that the departments needed for tests. In his last year, Bob was in charge of the Urology and Parasitology Departments. He volunteered to go on “bleeding trips” to draw blood for the Blood Bank. For a pint of blood, the donor would receive a shot of whiskey, a steak dinner, and a three-day pass! He was in Germany from May 1959 to January 1961 where he toured nine countries. He had been a Boy Scout since 1947 and is proud that while in Landstuhl, he started Boy Scout Troop 243 which is still active.
Bob returned home and was honorably discharged in February 1961.
After a variety of jobs and college courses, in August 1974 he began a 25-year career with Caterpillar, Inc., in Montgomery. He did welding, time study, and process engineering. He retired from Caterpillar April 30, 2000.
November 3, 1962, Bob and Shirley were married. They met for the first time on a blind date in June 1961. They have three sons and three grandchildren. Bob and Shirley live in Oswego and have been active participants in their community.
Bob is a busy man. He is the president of the 50-year old Auroraland Auto Restorers Club, whose motto is: “We are dedicated to the preservation of the automobile.”
He has been a Cub Scout and Boy Scout master, served on the Boy Scout board of directors for three years, was district chairman for three years, district commissioner, business manager for two Summers, and chaplain for three Summers at a Boy Scout camp.
He is involved with the Oswego Senior Center where he teaches elementary computers, stocks shelves at the Kendall County Pantry, and helps with various meals offered at the Senior Center.
With the Church of the Good Shepherd Bob is an usher, works the annual spaghetti dinner, and taught Sunday school for 17 years.
Bob is an extensive traveler. In the last 18 years since retirement, he has been to 35 countries, including New Zealand, Australia, and Iceland. In the Far East he did missionary work for his church.
Bob is in good health and shows no signs of slowing down.