Sgt. John Spring Jr. tried to prepare his squad of 20 Marines for the coming battle. A veteran of two tours in Iraq, the Windham native and 2005 Cheverus graduate was one of the few in the company with combat experience.

Echo Company, 2nd battalion, 8th Marine Regiment was flown deep into enemy territory in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, to dislodge the Taliban from the crossroads of two key supply routes.

Additional Photos

Marine Sgt. John Spring Jr. fires his rifle during the U.S. surge into Helmand province in Afghanistan. Spring was awarded the Bronze Star for heroism. Courtesy John Spring Jr.

Physically they were ready. Mentally, the first time is like no other.

“You have to keep pressing on. Stay focused,” Spring said. “It’s really easy if one of your friends goes down to cocoon and lose control, but you really can’t.”

Spring led his men through a daylong firefight, drawing enemy fire, carrying a fallen comrade over his shoulders out of the kill zone and then returning to man a vacant machine gun.

“I had to show them how to be successful. At the same time, it had to get done and I was the best one to do it,” he said.

The 23-year-old Mainer’s bravery was honored last month when he was awarded the Bronze Star for heroism, the military’s fourth-highest combat award.

“Sgt. Spring’s intrepid leadership, outstanding bravery, and complete dedication to mission accomplishment and troop welfare demonstrated the true definition of a Marine noncommissioned officer,” read the description of his behavior that day submitted in support of the medal. “His duties did not require him to be at the position of greatest danger, but he chose to place himself there, and in so doing greatly aided the company and platoon in their missions.”

Spring reported for boot camp five days after graduating from high school. He had played soccer and baseball for Cheverus, and as a goalie helped the school win its first state hockey championship. He was a jock with a good sense of humor.

His mother, Trish LeRoyer, recalls how he was immensely protective of his younger sister.

“John was a very proactive go-getter, very determined, very focused on what he was doing,” she said.

He wanted to play junior hockey but couldn’t afford it, so he joined the military instead.

Spring served in Iraq for seven months starting in July 2006, then returned to the United States for seven months before going back for a second tour. He was wounded when a bomb detonated beneath a truck he was in during his first tour.

In July 2009, his company was part of the surge into the Taliban strongholds in southern Afghanistan.

Helicopters ferried them to the Mian Poshteh area in the Helmand River valley. Their job was to seize a bridge and a town square and drive out the Taliban.

Shortly after landing, they came under heavy fire from enemy fighters with rifles and machine guns.

“I don’t think the general public gives al-Qaida and the Taliban enough credit. They’re very, very smart,” he said. “They were dug in everywhere. They were pinning us down. We were getting drilled.”

Spring led the platoon’s assault and machine gun squads, getting closer to the enemy than anyone else so he could see where they were and shoot at them, the commendation letter said.

“At this time he was the farthest north of any Marine in the company and as such presented the only target for the enemy as the platoon’s lead squad was concealed behind a berm,” it said.

By drawing their fire, Spring freed up other members of the platoon to advance. He then moved to find targets.

“Exposing himself at great personal risk throughout the day, he delivered reports to the machine gunners and assaultmen at the front of the platoon,” it read. It said his bravery and his presence in the worst of the fighting inspired the Marines in his platoon.

Machine guns kick up a lot of dust as they fire, which makes it impossible for the gunner to see where he’s shooting. Spring was spotting for the machine guns along with Lance Cpl. Charles “Seth” Sharp when Sharp was shot in the neck.

Spring saw him go down, and dodged gunfire to get to his side. Seeing that Sharp was critically wounded, Spring put him over his shoulders and carried him 100 yards to where others could help carry him to the company surgeon.

Spring grabbed another gun, ammunition and water, and headed back to the fight. He found one of the unit’s belt-fed machine guns abandoned. He stood and placed the machine gun on top of an old lathe, so he could see targets as he fired.

Somehow, Spring was not hit.

“Honestly, I don’t know how I didn’t. I was standing up and everyone else was in a prone position,” he said.

The commendation letter described how Spring’s accurate machine gun fire forced the enemy to seek cover.

Once they took the village, it was on to the next objective — and the next. They returned to the United States in November.

Spring remembers that day in combat vividly. Despite the accolades of his comrades, it’s difficult to think about, difficult to cope with, he said.

His father, John Spring Sr., said he didn’t learn about that day until his son returned to the United States.

“He told me about it after the fact, with some crying,” his father recalled. “He doesn’t ring his own bell. He’s the most humble person I know.”

Lance Cpl. Sharp didn’t survive. He was the first Marine killed in the offensive known as Operation Strike of the Sword. Spring met Sharp’s parents at the airport and escorted them to the funeral.

Spring is due for surgery next month to remove a piece of shrapnel from his eye dating to his injury in Iraq, for which he was awarded the Purple Heart.

His days of fighting are done.

“Of course you don’t want your child in harm’s way, but there’s also a part of me that knows he will miss doing the right thing and standing up for his country,” his mother said.

In his spare time, Spring coaches a U-15 roller hockey team in North Carolina, so far undefeated. He has taken psychology courses online and plans to go to college either in New England or Florida.

“We all say, ‘If I knew then what I know now.’ He has that opportunity,” his mother said. “He’s already had the life experience to know who he is and what he’s capable of. That’s almost a gift.”

Staff Writer David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at: dhench@pressherald.com

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