Lt. Colonel Ryan Levesque Speaks Before Post 64 Members

Published May 9, 2019 Gazette

By Bob Lessard ,Commander/Historian

 Simeon L. Nickerson American Legion Post 64                 

 United States Army Lieutenant Colonel Ryan Levesque was the guest speaker at last Thursday’s monthly meeting of Simeon L. Nickerson Post 64 American Legion.  Currently a student in the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, he spoke to the veterans about civilian-military relations and the strategic military challenges, which the country faces concerning China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and terrorism.   

After the meeting, Walter D. Campbell, Jr, a retired career Navy man and a Korean War/Vietnam War veteran, spoke with Levesque about the military issues discussed. Paul Provencher, a Vietnam War veteran and former Middleborough Veterans Service Officer, remarked that the presentation was well received. 

This writer had the distinct privilege of serving as master of ceremonies at Ryan Levesque’s promotion from Captain to Major in 2008. The ceremony was held in Middleborough’s Veterans Memorial Park, which was attended by family members and friends. His cousin from New Bedford, Lt. Colonel Frank Souza of the Air Force swore in the new Major. 

Also, in an above board revelation, please note Lt. Colonel Levesque is a twelve year member of Post 64. His speaker appearance was the first time in nine years that he was able to attend a monthly meeting. “It was really nice to see the Thatcher’s Row quarters and speak to the members,” said Levesque. 

Lt. Colonel Levesque, 43, is a Middleborough native and has been in active duty service since 1998, covering a span of 21 years.  He was educated in the Middleborough Public School system through K-8: attending classes at Union Street, School Street and at the Burkland School. He is a Class of 1994 graduate of Coyle Cassidy. 

He graduated from college in Vermont at Norwich University and earned a degree in Political Science and a minor in Spanish. In 2015 he studied Political Management at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. This year, he has received a certificate in Legislative Studies from Georgetown University. 

He and his wife Melanie, who hails from Hinesville, Georgia, are the parents of two daughters: Ashton, 11, and Charlotte 9 years old. He is the son of Paul and Virginia Levesque. His dad had owned Paul’s Tire on Route 28 in town before his death in 2004. His mother served in the Middleborough school system and retired in 2014 as Principal of the Memorial Childhood Education Center. Ryan has two brothers Jeff and Adam of Middleborough. 

He has been deployed to Bosnia, 2000-2001, as a weapons inspector controlled by treaty, and, Iraq, 2003, as a weapons search team leader. In 2005-2006 he served in northern Iraq as an Artillery Battery Commander. Later, in 2013-2014 in Kuwait he was Executive Officer of an Artillery Battalion. 

Among the countries Lt. Col Levesque has been sent on many short term visit/training deployments include Guantanamo Bay (Cuba), Afghanistan, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait,  led one of five weapons of mass destruction search teams in Iraq during the 2003 invasion Also, he spent time in Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Israel, Jordan, Germany, Poland and the Netherlands. 

 During his Army career, he has been stationed at Fort Sill, OK, twice; Fort Stewart, GA; Washington D.C., Alexandria, VA and the U.S. Capital; Fort Carson, CO; Fort Sam Houston. TX. Currently he is assigned to the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, PA., and, is next scheduled for assignment to the Pentagon in Washington on the Joint Staff.