Leslie Paul Mason, Jr. was born in Stambaugh, MI, to his beloved parents, the late Leslie P. Mason, Sr. and Martha Kumkoski Mason. He spent most of his childhood years in St. Paul, MN, and grew up at a time and in a place that valued hard work, an honest handshake as your word, solid friendships, and family that sticks to­gether. Common sense and common decen­cy were breezes in the air.

At the age of nine, life for Les was marked forever. Navy LT Wilbur Jerome Mason, Les’ Uncle Bud, was killed by enemy fire while serving on the USS Herring (SS 233), a World War II submarine sunk in June 1944. It was at this time that the seeds of duty and honor for his country firmly took root in Les’ life.

Prior to entering West Point, Les at­tended Hamline University in St. Paul, MN, as an engineering student, served in the Air Force and attended the Preparatory School at Stewart Air Force Base in Newburgh, NY. In 1956, he joined the Class of 1960 and Company B-2. At West Point, he played plebe hockey and enjoyed boxing in the intramural program, winning his weight class in the brigade open tournament. His Howitzer yearbook said: “He fought hard, worked hard and played hard, but he was not hard to know or to like because he learned to laugh early.”

Upon graduation, Les was commis­sioned in the Infantry and assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, NC. He then transferred to Special Forces, where he served in a variety of assignments in the 5th and 7th Special Forces Groups, from executive officer of an A-Detachment to S-1 of a C-Detachment. This period of Special Forces service also included two tours of duty in Vietnam.

Les was quiet and humble about his military accomplishments. In fact, he re­cently had told his young grandson that his favorite thing to do in the Army was just to “hang out with my friends.” It was not until after Les died and his family began sorting through his papers that those closest to him first learned of his many decorations, which included the Bronze Star, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal, 1st Class, the Combat Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge and Ranger Tab.

Les earned a master’s degree in psychol­ogy from the University of North Carolina in preparation for an assignment to West Point, where he was both an instructor and a course director in the department of Military Psychology and Leadership. His service also included assignments as a company commander and battalion execu­tive officer at Ft. Benning, GA; as a student at the Army Command & General Staff College, Ft. Leavenworth, KS; and as a G-3 staff officer in Thailand. At Ft. Devens, MA, he returned to the Green Berets, serv­ing as both a battalion and group executive officer in the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) before his final assignment as the post Inspector General.

Les retired from the Army in 1980 as a lieutenant colonel and started a new career with the State of New Hampshire, serv­ing as a business administrator to the State Adjutant General for many years. A friend who worked with Les wrote to the family: “We loved him as a colleague, a friend, and a remark­able wit. As much as he tried to hide the bril­liance and heroism of his past—he could not. He was, in a word, revered by all of us.”

Les was married in 1963, had four chil­dren, and later divorced. In 1977, he married Linda Stevens, who had three children. They were best friends and sweethearts for 32 years. Les and Linda so complemented each other that you had to believe that they were meant to be with one another. Les is also survived by his two sis­ters, his four children, Linda’s three children, nine grandchildren, and one great-grand­child. A kid at heart, Les was in his element with his grandchildren.

Les loved the Lord and was an ac­tive member of the Presbyterian Church in America.

Upon learning of his death, a West Point classmate portrayed Les as “a soldier’s soldier who enjoyed hard work as well as the gath­ering of his friends.” One family member shared this: “What is the measure a man? Do we measure him by his many friends; the number of lives he has touched? Do we look at his faith in God, his love for his country? Do we look at his commitment to his wife through all times, good or bad, high and low? Do we compare ourselves to him in hope that we measure up? Do we mea­sure him by his ability to change for us or us for him? Do we look at the way he plays with children and laughs with adults? This is how Les would want to be measured, and all who knew him knew that Les did mea­sure up.”

Les had a low profile approach to life, en­joying solitude and a book as much as the gathering of friends and family. His life is marked by service, and while he faced many hardships, Les always soldiered on. On 3 Dec 2009, Leslie Paul Mason, Jr. was buried with full military honors at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boscawen, NH. On his headstone, beneath the cross, is the West Point motto: Duty Honor Country. Rest in Peace, Les. We will all hold you dear in our hearts and be forever grateful that we knew you.