Group helps severely wounded Iraq vets make return

Pfc. JUSTIN LEON (right), with wife Lorena, is one of two wounded soldiers coming to Livermore as part of the Sentinels of Freedom scholarship program.

LIVERMORE — The successful program that helped assimilate severely wounded soldiers back into civilian life in the San Ramon Valley is starting in Livermore.

The Sentinels of Freedom scholarship program model is being implemented by a new group of community leaders, led by Livermore resident Marilyn Carter.

The group will be welcoming two soldiers at about the same time into the Livermore community: Sgt. Cristian Valle and Pfc. Justin Leon.

Sentinels creator Mike Conklin had been looking to grow the program from its San Ramon Valley roots for quite some time, but he was waiting for a community leader to emerge.

"Every community has somebody like me, just an average guy who has a drive to want to see these soldiers be welcomed back," he said. "In Livermore, that has been Marilyn, no question."

"We're the first to leave the family, so to speak," Carter said. "We want to prove this program can work, so hopefully it expands all over. We're separate from the San Ramon group, but we will follow that model and work with them."

Read the rest at Inside the Bay Area