William “Bud” McLeroy was born in San Diego, Calif. He joined the Marine Corps in May 1980 and completed basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. He attended engineering training at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

McLeroy also attended several other schools throughout his career, including the Army Infantry School, Basic Noncommissioned Officer School, and the Sergeant Major Academy, where he ranked within the top 5 of his graduating class.

After serving six years in active Marine Corps, McLeroy served an additional 27 years in the Army Reserve. In 1993, he underwent surgical amputation after an auto accident. After retiring from military service, he joined the Federal Fire Department in San Diego, Calif., as a firefighter and diver.

According to McLeroy, he was the first amputee to deploy for Operation Iraqi Freedom. There, he was awarded a Purple Heart from an injury while providing aid to Iraqi civilians during a firefight. He also served in Okinawa, Japan, with the 3rd Foreign Service Support Group; Camp Dakota, Honduras; Camps Humphrey and Pohang in Korea; and at Kaiserslautern, Germany.

McLeroy lives in San Diego with his wife, Tina, and his four children. McLeroy competed in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in March 2023.

We honor his service.