Wrestling Coach Injured in Afganistan.

Corey Leach, former assistant wrestling coach at Olathe South, and now a Special Forces soldier in Afganistan for the U.S. Army was critically injured when he was hit by an explosive device that went off beside him and a fellow solder while on patrol.

He is underwent emergency surgery in Afganistan and once he was stabilized there he was shipped to Germany where he underwent other surgical procedures. Coach Leach is in critical condition there with wounds to his head, lungs, and upper torso. His limbs as far as I know are intact and he is stable after further surgery. Coach Leach means a great deal to my son who wrestled for him and Coach Mesa at Olathe South and I know he means a great deal to Coach Mesa and all the young men at South in his time there. I will endeavor to find out how we can get some letters to him. Mr. Hinkley, if you read this, could you contact me as to how that my be facilitated. Please give Corey your thoughts and prayers. The wrestling community has a pipeline to God I think and this is a good time to use it. He needs all of us now. He is an American hero and we need to support him in his time of great need. God bless you Corey.

This is Corey's facebook page. This would be an excellent place to leave messages for Corey. My information is sketchy at best. I am going by what my son has heard and what little we are getting out of people who know and a lot of that is second hand. People are understandably upset and he is a long ways away so it is difficult to be precise. I know he is hurt and I know he needs our thoughts. Here is his facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/corey.leach.39

In our thoughts and prayers -

STA Kids Club

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Corey Leach and his family.

Shawn Budke and the Leavenworth County Spartan Wrestling Team

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Coach Leach, his family and friends. You are an American Hero. THANK YOU for what you do. We hope for you to make a quick recovery and a return back to the states.

Hays Wrestling Club

Is he at Landtuhl? Here is their website: http://ermc.amedd.army.mil/index.cfm

Sorry to hear this news. I hope that you make a full recovery and get to come home soon. Thank you for your service Corey and thoughts and prayers for you, your family, your friends and those in your unit who are suffering from this incident as well.

Thoughts and prayers to you and your family!!!!!!

That is what Eric Hinkley told me yes. Landtuhl. I may not be spelling that correctly but he said that is where he would have been taken. Just heard that he is awake and conscious and talking. That is a very good thing. They are flying his family over there to see him. I understand that was his first thought was of them and wanting to see his brother graduate.

My son is giving me this information. I am not sure where he is getting it but you know kids can find out more stuff with a cell phone than most of us can if we were standing there. More as I hear it.

The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.
- Douglas MacArthur

Corey,

Know that we are praying for you back in Kansas! Thank you for standing in the gap, so that we can have freedom.

Godspeed to you!

- Chief

The Leach Family appreciates all the prayers and thoughts for Corey!

It's comforing to be apart of a sport and community that despite differences and competition, doesn't lose sight of what's important. I have had the privelage to have coached against Corey, and mentor him during his coaching duties. He is an inspiration to me as well as everyone that has been close to him. Corey has had many coaches from the area, all have been influencial in his life. Some include (Eric Krause, Lance Larson, Adam and Chad Butler, Matt Stephenson, and Josh Carrol).
I'd like to think that in his road to recovery that Corey is met with the graditude of his service, hardwork, and relationships he has made. Keep the prayers coming for all our Soldiers and wrestlers in need.

Corey is a great kid, and his family are good people. Prayers and best wishes to them as they suffer through this time, relieved to hear the latest good news.

Tom Williams

Corey is back in the states and is in a hospital in San Antonio. I just saw a picture of him smiling and sitting up in bed. He has an eye patch but otherwise looked to be in good spirits and upbeat. His family posts that the Army paid to send them down to spend time with him. Very good of them to do that for them. I don't know much, my son just showed me the note and the pic on his cell phone so I am passing on what I saw. I saw a live American hero, who looks to be well on the road to recovery. God bless him.

That is terrific news. Welcome home Corey and the best of luck on your road to recovery.

Great News!

Wow! God is good...

AWESOME !!!! Welcome home....

Hey guys i actually used to wrestle for wixhita heights and im now an air force medic in san antonio i took care of corey leach yesterday hes doing great right now up and moving and has moved into the warrior transistion barracks

Quinton edwards

Quinton thank you for all you do and sharing the positve news on Cory.

Thank you i take pride in taking care of my wounded warriors so thatmeans alot to me il give more information as i see corey and how he progresses

gedwards,

Thank you for the work that you put in to keep our guys alive and get them back to the best health that they can be.

Corey Leach is getting better but he has a long ways to go. The Johnson County 3 &2 baseball facility is running a fundraiser to make money for his long recovery. TV 5 here in Kansas City did a piece on him today. Here is the web page for the facebook page and the fund raiser When you go to this website there is a link to the Channel 5 report they did on him. It is pretty interesting and Corey is on it talking about his experiences. He is a lucky man to be alive.

https://www.facebook.com/CoreySafeAtHome

Thank you for your kind words. This is Mom and I can tell you nothing has ever meant more to Corey than the opportunity Coach Mesa gave him to be his assistant coach. I was able to spend the last 2 weeks with Corey and he is healing very quickly, the one thing that is holding him there in San Antonio is his left eye, at this time he still is unable to see out of that eye so they will be doing more surgeries in the near future to hopefully regain full sight. Corey is very lucky, he was extremely close to the explosion when it went off(approximately 4 feet). We are blessed to still have him here with us. Thank you for all the prayers that have come our way. If you would like to send Corey a letter or card here is his address.
PFC Corey Leach
3551 Roger Brooke Rd
BAMC,Dept 1000
Fort Sam houston, TX
78234
Thank you all again. The Leach Family

Man that is great news. I know one of his former wrestlers that is very happy for him. Tell him we are all still thinking about him and that won't stop any time soon.