Army Vet Moves Forward 10 Years After 9/11

Army Iraq war veteran Blondene Leys of Laurel has known for some time what she will do during the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

She will revisit her memories of her comrades-in-arms who died. Leys spent about a year tour in Iraq.

“As always when this anniversary comes around, I’m thinking of people who I knew and lost,” said Leys. “My captain, who was gone after a bomb hit our camp, and some of my other friends who didn’t make it home; I will just reflect on them, on the honor of having had them in my life.”

Leys, 29, is an honors student at Prince George’s Community College (PGCC), a single mom of an autistic son and works at a homeless shelter. Originally from Jamaica, she spent much of her life in Hyattsville and is a graduate of High Point High School.

Leys enlisted in the Army in 2001 before 9/11. She said she wanted to serve her country as well as receive benefits for her college education.

Leys said she was as shocked as anyone when she heard of the attacks. But she immediately hardened herself. Leys said she had no choice, because she instinctively knew she would be going off to war.

“It’s mental toughness. It’s discipline. You don’t let anything bother you or stress you. The drill sergeant brings it out in you. I was also born with mental toughness. It’s part of my personality.”

In April 2003, Leys was deployed to Iraq and attached to an infantry company.

Keva Dillard, Leys' sister, said that while family members were surprised Leys joined the Army, they had no doubt she would succeed and are proud of her service. Once Leys puts her mind to something, she accomplishes it, said Dillard.

“Whether it was singing – she has a beautiful voice – or anything, Blondene was always able to conquer her goals,” said Dillard. 

Leys, as a motor pool logistical support specialist in Iraq, saw that parts were supplied, repairs made and vehicles ended up where they were needed.

Her role put her in harm's way on a regular basis. Twice, she said, roadside bombs exploded near her vehicle.

“It was an Army infantry company, so you know they were constantly attacked,” Leys said. “You adjust and accept it, though losing someone close to you is never easy.”

When she came home in 2004, Leys became pregnant and gave birth to her son, Tamar. She subsequently decided not to re-enlist. Leys said her son was diagnosed with autism at age 3.

Leys said she maintained her goal of becoming an English teacher, which she said she hoped could help her son overcome his language deficiency.

“The fact that he had trouble speaking, which we all take for granted, made me appreciate the language even more,” she said. “I wanted to share it with other people.”

In 2010, with a job at a local homeless shelter, she enrolled at Prince George's Community College.

After being out of school for a decade, Leys said she had to learn how to write in an academic format. She now has a 3.7 GPA.

Dwayne Bourgeois, veterans service manager at the college, said Leys has taken the discipline she learned in the service and applied it to her school work.

“She is amazing,” he said. “She understands what it takes to be productive, to come back and make a difference. I know she will succeed in whatever she decides to do.”

For Leys, it remains all about staying in the moment. Her tools to do so are discipline and faith, she said.

“I want lead a purposeful life that God put me here to live. I would be lost without that motivation.”