Early Years

Levi was born and raised in America by Tom Rainerd and Akiko Wong. His mother is a Japanese woman living in America since she was 16 years old with her traditional family, and his father was a military member. Levi spent the first 3 years of his life living in Washington before his family moved to Arkansas. He always looked up to his father, who was the bravest man he knew, and was so strong. A lot of how Levi acted was similar to Tom's.

He taught Levi what it meant to be a hero, how to have the conviction to do good by others. Lesions that stuck well into his teens. When Levi was 5 years old, there was a day when his mom was sad. His dad had been deployed for a few months now, and as far as he knew, he hadn’t heard from anyone on base about when he was coming back. He didn’t understand why his mom was crying when he came home from school. She wouldn’t tell him. And when the day came, they were supposed to go pick Tom up from the airport. But when they didn’t go to the airport, Levi was confused, and he asked why. 

Having to tell her son his daddy wasn’t coming home was the hardest thing she had ever imagined doing. He did not understand, and he became upset... The day came when they had his funeral, and Levi was allowed to see his dad’s lifeless body. It hurt so bad for his family to hear his wailing for his father to wake up and come home... His older cousin, Ame, had taken his hand to lead him away and held him with her little brother, Mika. They had made a trip from Japan to visit him and his mom for the funeral. Levi’s Aunt Trish was devastated at the news that her brother had been killed in combat. She took extra care to make sure her sister-in-law and nephew were shown a lot of love while she was visiting.

Levi could recall the three-volley rifle salute his father got, and when the present lieutenant commander came to him, giving him one of the bullet casings, and his dad’s dog tags. He cried more.

The American flag was folded up and presented to his mother. Similar to an anime we all know with a beloved father who was killed in the military, Levi was distraught when they started to bury Tom’s casket. Begging them to stop covering his father with dirt. He had to wake up so he could come home!

He had to wake up... There were people who needed him still!

It was only a year after that when the Mamoru household experienced its tragedy. Ever since these events happened, Levi had become more steadfast in his beliefs that fighting was horrible. Once he had learned the meaning of death, what that loss was, and what that felt like. He began to hate fighting. 

At the age of 16, Levi’s school had a fire start from the kitchen when there was an undetected gas leak. No one died, but it was very close for many, if not for the quick thinking of many brave school faculty and students, Levi included, who ran into the flames to get everyone out. He was nearly crushed by a blazing support beam that had fallen on their way out and suffered a third-degree burn on his left shoulder. 

Levi is now 17, and aspiring to go to med school to become an EMT and one day, hopefully, a combat medic, to save lives where he can.