We are honored to introduce the newest member of the Rush Limbaugh Hall of Patriots, United States Marine Cliff Leonard! Cliff served in the Marines from 1966 to 1968 as a Lance Corporal.

After undergoing a heart transplant 28 years ago, Cliff decided to take up a new mission to honor his fellow Marines and Navy corpsmen killed in action. He initially began carving wooden busts and eventually moved to sculpt portrait busts in clay which he has pursued for over 15 years. Each figure takes approximately two and a half months to create. Cliff recently completed a series of over 55 busts for the families of Marines and Navy corpsmen who lost their lives during military conflicts in the Middle East. He also sculpted busts of fallen 3rd Recon Battalion Marines who fought in the Vietnam War. Each bust is given as a gift to the Gold Star Family.

Cliff’s dedication to honoring his fellow service members has earned him recognition from the Texas State Veterans’ Home. He has also created a bust of Medal of Honor recipient Jason Dunham, which is honorably displayed on the USS Dunham. Medal of Honor, recipient Ralph H. Johnson, is now on display at the Ralph H Johnson VA Hospital in Charleston, SC., and a female Marine, Casey Casanova, is now on display at the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum in Hattiesburg, MS. Despite his accomplishments, Cliff has remained humble and never sought recognition for his work. His only goal was to honor the sacrifice of his fallen comrades.

Cliff was a lifelong listener of Rush’s show and still holds him in the highest regard. He remembers speaking to his neighbor, Bruce, who also served, about Rush and how great he was. Cliff believes that no one will ever be able to replace Rush or match his intelligence. We extend our gratitude to Cliff for his service and dedication to his fellow veterans.