VAIL, Colo. — Sgt. 1st Class Joe Kapacziewski’s 2005 injury in Iraq might have gotten the best of his right leg, but it certainly didn’t get the best of him.
Continue reading "Vail ski program gives boost to injured vets" »
WASHINGTON — Troops caught near a roadside blast will be pulled out of combat for 24 hours and checked for a mild traumatic brain injury, even if they appear unhurt or say they are fine, according to a new treatment policy the Pentagon is planning to release.
WASHINGTON - Scientists at the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center and a professor at Columbia University are working on a collaborative study measuring brain damage on traumatic brain injury patients.
Brain scans, blood tests may help predict condition
Two new studies seem to provide more evidence that post-traumatic stress disorder is a chemical change in the brain caused by trauma — and that it might be possible to diagnose, treat and predict which troops are most susceptible to it using brain scans or blood tests.
Continue reading "Studies find breakthrough in PTSD treatment" »
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Nobody wants to buy them a beer.
Continue reading "Back from combat, women struggle for acceptance" »
U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Michael Blair sits tall in a saddle that has been used by soldiers since before World War I. Today he is riding Bud, a jet-black horse whose usual job is leading caissons through the somber funeral ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery With his crew cut and his Marine Corps windbreaker, Sgt. Blair, 34, looks every bit the part of a soldier as he rides down the path at Arlington's Fort Myer. When he dismounts, though, he grabs a walking stick with a Marines logo on it and walks unevenly to the stables.
Continue reading "Injured troops find therapy on horseback" »
WASHINGTON, Nov. 24, 2009 – As Army Sgt. First Class John Wright lay in a hospital room after being wounded in Afghanistan this summer, he probably didn’t envision himself feeling especially thankful a few months later.
Continue reading "Vice President Opens Home to Recovering Troops" »
Marine Corps League Detachment 061 honored Purple Heart recipients representing three generations at a banquet Saturday that celebrated today as the 234th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Continue reading "Marine Corps League honors wounded warriors" »
From the series - Women at Arms
For Vivienne Pacquette, being a combat veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder means avoiding phone calls to her sons, dinner out with her husband and therapy sessions that make her talk about seeing the reds and whites of her friends’ insides after a mortar attack in 2004.
ARLINGTON, Va. - An Evansville Marine injured in Afghanistan was one of 25 soldiers awarded personal mobility vehicles at a ceremony in Arlington, Va., on Thursday.
Continue reading "Evansville Marine, wounded in Afghanistan, receives electric vehicle" »
Man loses lower leg in Monday’s helicopter wreck; parents fly from the county to see him
A Marine captain and San Luis Obispo High School alumnus is recovering in a hospital in Germany after he lost one of his lower legs and suffered other serious injuries in a helicopter crash Monday in Afghanistan.
NEW YORK — Maryland and South Carolina will wear uniforms with camouflage designs during their games Nov. 14 to honor military veterans and promote the Wounded Warrior Project.
Continue reading "Teams to raise cash for Wounded Warrior Project" »
WASHINGTON — Female soldiers and others serving in dangerous roles behind the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan have long complained it was hard to prove their combat experience when applying for disability for post-traumatic stress disorder.
Continue reading "Proposal could ease way for disability payments" »
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — For the men and women who put themselves in harms way for our country and return injured, little can be done to fully repay them for their sacrifice.
Harrisburg, Pa. - A local Marine wounded in Afghanistan was honored for his service and his sacrifice on Thursday night.
KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii — Marine Corps Base Hawaii’s latest recruit breaks the mold with his laid-back attitude and nonregulation hairstyle. But he’s highly trained and devoted to his unit.
DENVER - It's been one month since Staff Sergeant Jesse Cottle was seriously injured in Afghanistan. In that time he has had six surgeries and lost both of his legs.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is moving closer to simplifying the process for many veterans to link post-traumatic stress disorder to their military service, whether in a war zone or not, which opens the door for disability benefits.
Continue reading "Change would streamline PTSD claims for vets" »
FAIRBORN, Ohio -- It was a homecoming in Fairborn for a disabled Marine who got a hero’s welcome from thousands of people.
WASHINGTON | It wasn’t a bullet or roadside bomb that felled Lance Cpl. Josef Lopez three years ago, after just nine days in Iraq.
Continue reading "Missouri veteran injured by vaccine ineligible for benefit" »
FAIRBORN — Marine Lance Cpl. Larry Draughn Jr. credits his remarkable recovery after losing both legs in Afghanistan on May 31 to his stubbornness and something he learned from his late father.
Continue reading "Local Marine loses both legs, not his spirit" »
BETHESDA, MD,— Crestron hosted the third Eagles Program dedication ceremony yesterday for the Wounded Warriors Battalion – East at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, unveiling the new home theater donated to provide comfort and entertainment for America’s heroes recovering from injuries sustained during combat overseas. The Crestron Eagles Program was conceived by Crestron
President George Feldstein to honor the service and sacrifice of our wounded warriors returning home from battle.
Continue reading "Crestron Eagles Program Donates Theater to Marines" »
Densfords seek assistance with meals program that supports military families as they visit injured or ill servicemen at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda
Military service is a family tradition for Peggy and Joe Densford's family. Two of their three children are Marines — Capt. Nathan Densford, 30, is currently serving his third tour in Iraq as an air operations officer. Sgt. Seth Densford, 25, a veteran of Afghanistan, is currently serving at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Nathan is a 1997 graduate of Great Mills High School. Seth is a 2002 graduate of St. Mary's Ryken
ST. LOUIS MO ( KTVI-FOX2Now.com ) - There is an effort underway by moms of St. Louis area Marines to make sure no injured Marine is left without a letter showing them America cares.
Continue reading "Effort To Give Every Injured Marine A Letter Showing America Cares." »
DENVER - In a place where crowds are a given and homecomings happen every day, a couple of hundred people, most perfect strangers, gathered to surprise one man in a way that doesn't happen every day.
DENVER - Lance Corporal John T. Doody is finally back home in Colorado. But it wasn't an easy trip.
Continue reading "Wounded Iraq War veteran receives hero's welcome at DIA" »
WASHINGTON — Marine Lance Cpl. Josef Lopez of Springfield has spent the last three years recovering from a smallpox vaccination that left him paralyzed and nearly took his life.
Continue reading "Stricken Marine spurs senator’s amendment" »
DENVER (CBS4) ― A wounded war veteran received a hero's welcome at Denver International Airport on Wednesday.
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Army Spc. Cameron Briggs washes down a cocktail of prescription drugs every day for post-traumatic stress disorder and a brain injury he suffered when four roadside bombs rocked his Humvee in Iraq.
Continue reading "Dogs more actively integrated into rehab" »
The deadline is July 27 for troops with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury, and their families, to register for a free getaway near Big Bear Lake in California’s San Bernardino Mountains.
Continue reading "Free retreat offered for TBI vets, families" »
The Marine officer who devised centralized barracks for wounded warriors is leaving the Corps.
Continue reading "Marine behind Wounded Warrior barracks to retire" »
WASHINGTON, June 19, 2009 – A foundation formed by the family of a fallen Marine whose story was told in the HBO movie “Taking Chance” has donated $10,000 to a group that works to help wounded veterans and their families.
Continue reading "Chance Phelps Foundation Donates $10,000 to ‘Hope for the Warriors’" »
JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — Marines recovering at Camp Lejeune, N.C., from wounds sustained in Afghanistan and Iraq are getting new digs conveniently located next to the base naval hospital.
Continue reading "Lejeune maps out new Wounded Warrior barracks" »
When an improvised explosive device blew up in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004, Derek McGinnis, a former Navy corpsman, lost the bottom half of his leg.
Continue reading "Conference brings vets, caregivers together" »
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — Lance Cpl. Matthew Bradford was nervous.
Continue reading "Injured Marine shares story to inspire others" »
Researchers are not sure whether the treatment will have any positive impact
Brain injuries are fast becoming one of the signature injuries of the wars in Iraq and Afghantistan. Now, some San Antonio researchers are trying a cutting edge way to treat these wounded warriors. It involves oxygen
Continue reading "Hyperbarics under study as a treatment for traumatic brain injury" »
Inexact post-deployment questions about service members’ health are leading to incorrect diagnoses of mild traumatic brain injury, resulting in troops sometimes receiving the wrong medications and inappropriate treatment while other maladies go untreated, two leading Army TBI researchers conclude in a paper published April 16 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Continue reading "TBI screens need to get specific, report says" »
ARLINGTON, Va. — Military scientists are learning how roadside bombs — the most common weapon used against U.S. troops in on the battlefield — harm the brain even when there is no other physical damage, according to research results released by the project’s lead scientist.
Continue reading "Military studies shed light on brain injuries" »
MIDDLEVILLE, Mich. — Former Marine Cpl. Joshua Hoffman was paralyzed from the chest down two years ago by a sniper’s bullet in Iraq. He uses a wheelchair and has been in and out of hospitals with infections.
Reaching for a cigarette to cope with a flashback is all too common among sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder. The nicotine hit may feel good but scientists say its brain action probably makes their PTSD worse in the long run.
Continue reading "How to help when smoking, alcohol complicate PTSD" »
Reaching for a cigarette to cope with a flashback is all too common among sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder. The nicotine hit may feel good but scientists say its brain action probably makes their PTSD worse in the long run.
Continue reading "How to help when smoking, alcohol complicate PTSD" »
It took an explosion on the streets of Iraq to put in a kink in Sergeant Andrew Simmons stride back in 2006 as he made his way home to East Tennessee.
Continue reading "Local group carves honors for wounded vets" »
The Defense Department has created a new outreach center for troops and family members who need help understanding post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries, as well as to help them get the resources they need.
ANN ARBOR, Mich – The McCormick Foundation in Chicago has awarded $350,000 to the University of Michigan Depression Center and Department of Psychiatry to help address the “invisible brain injuries” among returning Iraqi and Afghanistan veterans and their families. These include sleep, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and associated problems. The gift is part of a larger fundraising initiative called Welcome Back Veterans created by New York Mets Chairman and CEO Fred Wilpon to provide returning veterans the quality evaluations, treatment, support systems, and long-term employment assistance they deserve to restart their lives and care for their families.
Reduced sense of smell might also signal need for testing, expert says
MONDAY, Jan. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Headache frequency and severity caused by traumatic brain injury might signal cognitive deficits, suggests a new study of Iraq war veterans.
Continue reading "War Vets With Headaches Could Have Brain Problems" »
TAMPA - Lance Corporal J.T. Doody has a newfound freedom. He's in a wheelchair, but now he can go where he wants.
FRANKLINTON, N.C. — The first thing that 1st Lt. Mike McMichael felt when he regained consciousness was a stinging sensation.
An Institute of Medicine report says even mild brain injuries seem associated with problems such as seizures, aggression and dementia reminiscent of Alzheimer's disease.
Traumatic brain injuries, one of the signature injuries of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, can be linked to such long-term problems as seizures, aggression and dementia reminiscent of Alzheimer's disease, according to an Institute of Medicine report released Thursday.
Continue reading "Veterans' long-term problems linked to traumatic brain injuries" »
ARLINGTON, Va. – Traumatic Servicemembers Group Life Insurance benefits have been expanded to include new injuries.
Continue reading "Traumatic Servicemembers Group Life Insurance benefits expanded" »
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26, 2008 – Wounded warriors who call into the Marine Wounded Warrior Call Center near Quantico, Va., find truth in the motto, “once a Marine, always a Marine.”
Continue reading "Staying Power: Marine Corps’ Call Center Contacts, Assists Wounded Warriors" »
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2008 – Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Matthew Ryan Bradford was part of a patrol to clear an area near Haditha, Iraq, of roadside bombs with the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, on Jan. 18, 2007.
Continue reading "Face of Defense: Double Amputee Marine Wants to Stay in to Help Others" »
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2008 – A troop-support group that provides education on the brain’s and body’s natural responses to stress launched its redesigned Web site yesterday.
“Our Web site is completely redesigned to power our mission of providing the best education, training and resources for supporting strength and resilience in all areas of military life,” said Elizabeth Hawkins, executive director of “One Freedom.”
Continue reading "Troop Support Group Launches New Web Site" »
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2008 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said a new handbook is another step in improving the care and support wounded, ill or injured troops and their families deserve. The handbook compiles the myriad information they need in one succinct, easy-to-read publication.
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq, Oct. 31, 2008 – A noncommissioned officer who returned to Iraq nine months ago after his left leg was amputated above the knee soon will represent the Marine Corps in the halls of Congress.
Continue reading "Face of Defense: Marine Amputee Who Returned to Iraq Earns Fellowship" »
KEVIN BLANCHARD’S freshman year at George Washington University was unlike anybody else’s on campus.
ARLINGTON, Va. — Wounded servicemembers whose combat-related injuries are diagnosed after they return home can keep their special pays while hospitalized, Defense officials said Tuesday.
In the first of what could become many revisions in its disability ratings, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced Sept. 23 that it is changing how it evaluates traumatic brain injuries, a move that could increase disability compensation for thousands of veterans who have been injured by roadside bombs or other explosions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Continue reading "VA rule change may mean higher TBI payouts" »
The 12-bedroom facility allows them to stay close to loved ones being treated at the Naval Medical Center, many for traumatic brain injuries.
SAN DIEGO -- When Nicci McClearn of Chicago learned in July that her Marine son had been severely wounded in Afghanistan, she knew where she was headed: Fisher House, adjacent to Naval Medical Center San Diego.
Continue reading "Second house for families of wounded troops opens in San Diego" »
Free Lodging Puts Them Close to Hospital
SAN DIEGO -- More family members visiting badly injured sailors and Marines can now literally stay next door to their loved ones at Naval Medical Center in Balboa Park.
Continue reading "Military Families Get New Home Away From Home" »
Family, friend to come together for Corporal Kaspar
Sometimes, some good can result from a grim situation. Such is the case trusted for by the Kaspar family in the "Coming Together for Corporal Kaspar Foundation," to financially help U.S.M.C. Corporal Sean Kaspar of Orland Park and his family with the many months of therapy and rehabilitation he faces from injuries suffered in active duty.
Continue reading "Benefit planned for injured Orland marine" »
WASHINGTON — The government plans to substantially increase disability benefits for veterans with mild traumatic brain injuries, acknowledging for the first time that veterans suffering from this less severe version of the Iraq war's signature wound will struggle to make a living.
Continue reading "VA to increase benefits for mild brain trauma" »
Petaluma Marine wounded in Iraq greeted by well-wishers upon return to hometown
A young hero came home Monday -- true to plan -- on his own two feet.
Continue reading "Kiernan comes home -- on two (new) legs" »
Scott MacKenzie is sleeping better these days.
Continue reading "‘Wiener dog’ helps Iraq War veteran adjust" »
FORT LEWIS, Wash. -- Home for at least two months, soldiers with a combat brigade still are in the fight.
Continue reading "Fort Lewis Soldiers Get Help Readjusting To Home" »
How One Team Roping Marine Made A Difference
Cody Hill was like most late-teen roping bums you know. Coming off a 300-mother cow operation in Ada, Okla., he gravitated toward the arena and was a natural.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2008 – After being medically retired from the Army last year as a result of mental wounds he suffered in Iraq, Michael Bradley faced a daunting challenge that would later prove pivotal in his recovery: holding down a job in the civilian world.
Continue reading "Afflicted Soldier Exemplifies ‘America’s Heroes at Work’" »
MIDDLEVILLE, Mich. (WZZM) - Supporters of a local Marine paralyzed by a sniper's bullet in Iraq broke ground today on a new home for him in Middleville.
Continue reading "Supporters break ground on home for West Michigan Marine" »
Former Chicago Bears Super Bowl-winning quarterback Jim McMahon will host a star-studded, two-day celebrity extravaganza before the game at Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club. It begins Jan. 29 with an evening under the stars at The Lake Club clubhouse, followed Jan. 30 by a 36-team celebrity golf tournament.
Continue reading "Super Bowl QB McMahon announces local benefit for wounded vets, others" »
A local marine who was severely injured in Afghanistan is back home tonight with his family. But not after an amazing show of generosity from strangers and friends alike.
Continue reading "Local marine receives hero's welcome home" »
EASTON -
A 21-year-old Marine from Easton is recovering at a veterans hospital in Virginia after being seriously injured last month in an attack while serving in Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Easton Marine recovering from Afghanistan attack" »
Scott MacKenzie recalls little of his past. His parents remember every detail.
Continue reading "Memory loss haunts injured Iraq War veteran" »
ENNIS, Mont. — Alroy Billiman, 28, stood at the front of a drift boat floating in the upper Madison River.
Continue reading "Group brings veterans to Montana to fish" »
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., July 30, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), a non-profit organization that honors and empowers wounded warriors, today announced that Michael Ward, chairman and chief executive officer of CSX Corporation, and his wife Terry have personally contributed $1 million toward education and rehabilitation.
Continue reading "Michael and Terry Ward Donate $1 Million to Wounded Warrior Project (WWP)" »
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — Cpl. Mark Marcoux set his sights on college long before he was injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq.
Continue reading "Wounded Warrior job fair offers opportunities" »
40 of America's most recently wounded service members were given a hero's welcome at The Venetian Thursday night.
Continue reading "The Venetian Honors Wounded Service Members" »
Lance Cpl. Sam Hansen was on a Mother’s Day vehicle patrol in Taliban-heavy Garmser, Afghanistan, when insurgents opened fire.
Continue reading "Marine recovering after being shot in head" »
A colleague dropped by on a recent day to tell me that it was the third anniversary of her son’s coming home from Iraq. That stopped me. It’s been 40 years since I stepped off the battlefield, and I’m not home yet. I can still feel the muck of rice paddies pulling on my boots, still hear the jungle hiss and snap in the dark. Even after the night dreams and day drifts have stopped and the loud noises no longer startle, you still press your chin against your shoulder and look back.
Navy docs staff medical facilities in Iraq, Afghanistan
TAQADDUM AIR BASE, IRAQ ---- It wasn’t a roadside bomb or small-arms fire that put Marine Lance Cpl. Douglas Cox in a hospital bed here last week.
Continue reading "MILITARY: Treating the wounded in the Middle East" »
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Any day now, a new medical facility designed specifically for troops with traumatic brain injuries will open at Camp Pendleton, 10News reported.
Continue reading "Brain Injury Clinic To Open At Camp Pendleton" »
Walter Reed Tries Yoga to Counter PTSD
Derrick Farley, a 29-year-old Army sergeant stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., has seen many people die. He served in Iraq for three year-long tours of duty with only six-month breaks between them. He remembers driving trucks along the dirt roads of Tikrit, ever alert for telltale signs of a sniper or the sudden blast of a hidden roadside bomb. His vehicle, he said, was hit 13 times.
- Challenged Athlete Foundation Members Participating Courtesy of TriWest -
PHOENIX, April 16 /PRNewswire/ -- After sacrificing their limbs while
fighting to protect America's freedoms in Iraq and Afghanistan, Marines Chris
Chandler and Brandon Mendez refused to let their injuries diminish their
spirits. Both received prosthetic limbs, returned to active duty and are
participating in Pat's Run courtesy of TriWest Healthcare Alliance.
Continue reading "Wounded Marines Running Their Way to Recovery at Fourth Annual Pat's Run" »
Sniper’s bullet destroyed gunnery sergeant’s knee, but not his will to serve
If you’ve ever wondered what the Marines have in mind when they advertise for “a few good men,” look no further than Gunnery Sgt. William “Spanky” Gibson.
Continue reading "Marine who lost leg returns to combat in Iraq" »
BETHESDA, Md., April 3, 2008 – Two Marines who were injured in Iraq praised the medical care they’ve received at the National Naval Medical Center here during interviews yesterday in conjunction with a grand re-opening ceremony for their newly renovated outpatient quarters.
Continue reading "Wounded Marines Praise Medical Care, Relate Iraq Experiences" »
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Fighting in Iraq took a heavy toll on Marine Lance Cpl. Daniel Patrick, damaging his hand, injuring his brain and causing him to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Continue reading "Marine Corps Offers Yoga, Massages to Marriages Strained by War" »
Shepherd Center and Humana Military Healthcare Services have partnered with Home Depot co-founder and philanthropist Bernie Marcus to help wounded U.S. military service members and their families obtain additional care to promote their recovery from combat-related injuries.
Continue reading "Shepherd Center and Humana Military Healthcare Services Launch SHARE Initiative" »
CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Mich (WOOD) -- When word went out that Joshua Hoffman was coming home, his family asked the injured Marine corporal if he wanted a public homecoming.
"Can I give you a kiss?"
Continue reading "Paralyzed Marine Joshua Hoffman returns home to well-wishers" »
Little-Known Event Is Emotional Salute;
Cpl. Lyon Pays a Visit
WASHINGTON -- Cpl. Kenny Lyon's mother pushed his wheelchair down a narrow Pentagon hallway, crying as she listened to the applause.
Continue reading "Wounded Soldiers See the Pentagon In Private Parade" »
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. —
The Wounded Warrior Regiment sponsored a job fair Monday at The Clubs at Quantico for four hours, where representatives from dozens of companies were waiting to receive resumes from and maybe even hire wounded and retired Marines.
Continue reading "Wounded Warrior Regiment sponsors job fair" »
BETHESDA, Md. (March 4, 2008) -- The Marine Corps officially unveiled its new running suit to Marines assigned to the Wounded Warrior Regiment at the National Naval Medical Center here Feb. 29.
Spanky Gibson was shot by a sniper in May of 2006 while on foot patrol in Ramadi, Iraq. When the firefight was over, his left leg was gone.
But Gunnery Sgt. William Gibson, a decorated Marine, didn't stop serving his country, even after his leg was amputated above the knee. He didn't settle for a desk job stateside, either. He's back in Iraq — his second tour — on active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps.
Continue reading "Iraq War Marine With Amputated Leg Back on Active Duty" »
The Pentagon’s top doctor is calling on wounded service members and their families to share their concerns and recommendations in a live online discussion Thursday at http://www.health.mil — and e-mails and text messages are being accepted ahead of time.
Fifteen wounded Marine and Army personnel were welcomed by an enthusiastic round of applause as they exited their plane on the flight deck aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Jan. 25.
Continue reading "Wounded Warriors Pay Visit to USS Nimitz" »
IRVINGTON, Ala. — Two Black Hawk helicopters hovered and tipped rotors Friday in honor of Marine Sgt. Greg Edwards at a ceremony to start building a specially adapted home for the Edwards family.
Continue reading "Homes for Our Troops begins house in Alabama" »
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Jan. 11, 2008) -- The greatest leaders, it seems, don’t think of themselves as great.
Continue reading "Don't call it a comeback: Marine goes from wounded warrior to silent warrior" »
Strength. Strength to survive. Strength to overcome long odds. Strength to cope with overwhelming adversity. Strength to hope for a better future. And strength to work hard at making that future happen.
Continue reading "Colin Smith a beacon of strength and hope for all who face adversity" »
Colin Smith always has a smile on his face. His sincerity and charm shine through it, making it impossible to not smile back. His smile radiates energy that can be felt by those around him.
Last of two parts
Part one may be found here:
http://www.marine-corps-news.com/2007/12/blasted_off_an_iraqi_bridge_cp.htm
SAN ANTONIO – Marine Cpl. Eric Morante's face darkens with effort, his mouth compressed in a tight line as he struggles for balance while doing abdominal crunches on a big blue exercise ball.
Continue reading "Marine Cpl. Eric Morante fights to find purpose in rehab grind" »
First in a two-part series
Part two may be found here:
http://www.marine-corps-news.com/2007/12/marine_cpl_eric_morante_fights.htm
It's sometime after noon on a Friday, the end of a four-day rotation on Bridge 286.
There’s happy and lucky to be alive, and then there’s the suicide bombing story that Marines Eric Morante and Steven May, both Spring Branch ISD graduates, will tell for years to come after serving in Iraq.
Continue reading "SBISD graduates recovering from suicide truck bombing in Iraq" »
BAY CITY -- A Purple Heart hangs on the wall over his pillow. Photos from Iraq are taped above the desk. A Marine Corps flag is pinned above the bed.
Marine Lance Cpl. Gene Landrus was hurt in a roadside bomb attack outside Abu Ghraib, Iraq, on May 15, 2006, and faces medical separation from the Corps. He's also up for a Purple Heart.
Continue reading "Marine didn't recognize signs of brain injury" »
The young marine lighted a cigarette and let it dangle. White smoke wafted around his helmet. His face was smeared with war paint. Blood trickled from his right ear and the bridge of his nose.
Despite concerns of overstepping, Times photographer Luis Sinco feels compelled to help the Iraq vet he made famous.
James Blake Miller was in a world of pain, and I figured I should be by his side.
Continue reading "Rescue operation aims to save a wounded warrior" »
SAN ANTONIO -- President Bush paid an emotional visit Thursday to soldiers maimed or badly burned in combat and said his administration is determined to mend the nation's system of caring for veterans.
DENVER – During a television commercial break, those at Coors Field for Game 3 saw two men come to the mound to throw out the first pitch.
Continue reading "Soldiers who threw out first pitch bound together before game" »
SAN DIEGO — Marine Sgt. Jordan Pierson, who lost his left leg to a roadside bomb in Ramadi, Iraq, had a request for the therapists at the Naval Medical Center here. He wanted a prosthetic leg that would let him play golf like he did before his injury.
Surrounded by about 2,000 others on foot at today's Sunshine Run, Lance Cpl. Joe Lopez will get by with arm-power — and a set of wheels.
Marines Raising Funds to Support Marines Injured in Iraq or Afghanistan
Washington, D.C. (October 04, 2007) – LCpl. Josef Lopez and Cpl. Neil Schalk didn’t know each other while serving in the Marine Corps in Iraq, but the invisible bonds of brotherhood that tie Marines together made it an easy decision for them to support each other through their next challenge: the Marine Corps Marathon. Those same bonds also made it an easy decision for a Gold Star family to support their cause.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2007 – The stress of deployments, especially during war time, can take a toll on servicemembers and their families. A group of licensed mental health professionals in Southern California is helping to minimize that impact, however.
TEMECULA, Calif. - He was one of America's first defenders on Sept. 11, 2001, a Marine who pulled burned bodies from the ruins of the Pentagon. He saw more horrors in Kuwait and Iraq.
Continue reading "Wounded Vets Also Suffer Financial Woes" »
FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, Sept. 20, 2007 – A new Warrior and Family Support Center being built here will be 10 times the size of the current facility.
Continue reading "New San Antonio Center for Wounded Warriors to Replace Current Facility" »
The concept of getting rid of a stigma can be a little nebulous, but experts on a post-traumatic stress disorder panel offered up some concrete changes that could help people overcome years of stereotypes.
Continue reading "Health officials chip away at PTSD stigma" »
Not since the Civil War have so many wounded service members returned to duty.
Continue reading "Rules unclear for wounded troops back on duty" »
WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2007 – The new Military Advanced Training Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here represents “an evolution in how we embrace, treat and honor,” wounded warriors, the Army vice chief of staff said at yesterday’s opening ceremony.
Continue reading "New Center Makes Good on Military’s Commitment to Wounded Warriors" »
WASHINGTON, Sept. 13, 2007 – Army National Guard Spc. Marco Robledo wants to go home to Arkansas in November standing on his own two feet. A roadside bomb claimed the combat engineer’s left leg and arm in Iraq in May. Since then, he has been recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.
Continue reading "New Amputee Care Center Opens at Walter Reed" »
LINCOLN CREEK VALLEY -- When Bryon Chambers stopped on a ledge halfway through the climb to catch his breath and plan his next move, everyone watching was unsure if he would continue.
Continue reading "To war and back: Injured soldiers find healing in the wilderness" »
THE nine men who climbed to the summit of the Colorado mountain were combat veterans who had fought in Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam.
Continue reading "Outward Bound program helps veterans heal their emotional scars" »
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. 2007) – (Aug. 20, 2007) -- How do you create a world class event to increase awareness and raise support for the injured Marines, Sailors and families of the Wounded Warrior Battalion-East? Simple: Start with equal parts dirt and water. Mix vigorously. Then add 14 obstacles and invite hundreds of people who thrive on challenge.
Continue reading "Fun in the mud to support Wounded Warriors" »
SAN ANTONIO – The five badly burned soldiers arrived around 11 p.m., sedated and swathed in bandages from head to foot – the screech of the plane's wheels on the tarmac and waiting ambulances marking the end of a 7,500-mile journey.
Continue reading "Military burn unit filled with pain, hope, humor" »
MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII (July 13, 2007) -- Combat related stress has again become an issue for service members who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Marine Corps recognizes this problem, and has been putting forth their best effort to help treat and cure Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
After surviving a suicide bomb attack in Iraq, ANTHONY THOMPSON and his family find victories in the small stuff
Pregnant wife waits by bedside, prays for recovery
Continue reading "Hometown Hero: Huffman petty officer now in battle for life" »
(CBS) This segment was originally broadcast on Oct. 29, 2006. It was updated on June 28, 2007.
Twenty-first century science and old fashioned guts are revolutionizing combat medicine for our troops. In Iraq, the medical units made famous by "MASH" have been retired in favor of new combat hospitals set up in the midst of the action.
My son, Marine Lance Corporal John McClellan is living proof that prayer really does work and that God is still in the miracle working business.
ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The nation's best and bravest, those severely wounded in the
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, will participate this summer in sport
rehabilitation offered by Disabled Sports USA, its chapters and
Wounded Warrior Project. This year's summer activities for the Wounded
Warrior Disabled Sports Project will include a series of more than 30
"learn-to" clinics in cycling, golf, outrigger canoeing, kayaking, scuba, rock climbing, camping, water skiing, wake boarding, track and field, and other sports.
Continue reading "Summer Sports rehabilitation program, to teach lifelong sports skills" »
Marine Lance Cpl. Scott MacKenzie of Cherokee County wanted to make his mother proud after receiving a Purple Heart for injuries in Iraq.
Continue reading "Purple Heart winner: 'We are in awe of him'" »
There’s happy and lucky to be alive, and then there’s the suicide bombing story that Marines Eric Morante and Steven May, both Spring Branch ISD graduates, will tell for years to come after serving in Iraq.
Continue reading "SBISD graduates recovering from suicide truck bombing in Iraq" »
NEW YORK (May 25, 2007) -- New York police and firefighters joined forces with the Marine Corps on Thursday for a two-mile motivational run through the lower east side of Manhattan led by a “wounded warrior.”
Continue reading "Wounded warrior leads formation run to Ground Zero" »
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon must use computers to screen troops before and after they go to Iraq or Afghanistan to better determine whether they suffered traumatic brain damage in combat, according to a plan by a congressional brain-injury task force.
Continue reading "Better brain-injury tests planned for troops" »
ENCINITAS, Calif. — At a community hospital here, doctors and therapists are working to help Marines overcome what is often called the signature injury of the Iraq war: brain trauma with no visible wounds.
ELLENVILLE - Sgt. Eddie Ryan says he has the determination of pit bull and has a tattoo to prove it.
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (April 10, 2007) -- The Purple Heart medal has been awarded to service members and civilians since 1932 for wounds received in action against enemies of the United States and its allies.
Continue reading "Piketon, Ohio, Marine awarded Purple Heart for wounds received in Iraq" »
St. Louis, MO – April 6, 2007 - United States Marine Corps family members from around the country will gather in St. Louis at the MarineParents.com conference to learn about the Marine Corps, combat deployment, recovery from combat, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and ways to encourage awareness for Troop Support in their own communities. Attendance will range from new Marine families, families experiencing first, second or third combat deployments, and families who have experienced casualties of combat.
WASHINGTON, April 4, 2007 – The U.S. Marine Corps has created a new regiment focused on tracking and assisting wounded Marines and sailors across the nation, the regiment’s first commander announced at a Pentagon news conference today.
Continue reading "New Regiment Focuses on Wounded Marines, Sailors" »
Despite life-changing injuries and some 40 surgeries, nothing was going to keep 2nd Lt. Andrew Kinard from greeting his fellow Marines who return home today after seven months in Iraq.
BETHESDA, MD, March 24, 2007 - Purple Heart Family Support ™ announced the start of new program bringing support to families of injured Marines at the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) in Bethesda, MD. Purple Heart Family Support ™, a subsidiary of the non-profit MarineParents.com, will bring a monthly free meal to families and patients at the hospital, providing a much needed service as the hospital cafeteria is closed on the weekends.
Continue reading "Purple Heart Family Support ™ Bring Lunch to National Naval Medical Center" »
DELTA — Marine Lance Cpl. Bryan Chambers is making steady progress after being seriously injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq, said his father, Craig Chambers, who is with his son at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
Continue reading "Delta Marine injured in Iraq makes progress" »
When Staff Sgt. Jarod Behee was asked to select a paint color for the customized wheelchair that was going to be his future, his young wife seethed. The government, Marissa Behee believed, was giving up on her husband just five months after he took a sniper’s bullet to the head during his second tour of duty in Iraq.
Continue reading "For War’s Gravely Injured, Challenge to Find Care" »
Reactions were mixed among four Marines who received purple hearts at the Wounded Warrior Barracks recently.
Continue reading "Purple Heart bittersweet for four Marines" »
DINWIDDIE — Lance Cpl. Matthew Bradford, 20, is still in the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., after being wounded in combat in Iraq Jan. 18.
Continue reading "Dinwiddie man continues to recover from war wounds" »
CAMP PENDLETON — If Building 18 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center represents the nadir of outpatient care for wounded military personnel, the Marine Corps is hoping that a former maternity ward here represents the opposite.
BETHESDA, Md. - The first round blew through Maj. K.C. Schuring's helmet, creased the top of his head and popped out through his goggles.
Jason Bingham, like many 22-year-olds, isn't sure what he wants to do with his life.
BETHESDA, Md. - The first round blew through Maj. K.C. Schuring's helmet, creased the top of his head and popped out through his goggles.
Petty Officer Third Class Dustin E. Kirby, a Navy corpsman whose efforts to save a wounded marine in Iraq and his own wounding by a sniper on Christmas were covered by The New York Times, has returned home to Georgia and expects a nearly full recovery, he and his family said.
Continue reading "Lives Entwined by War Enter a Long, Arduous Chapter: Recovery" »
2/9/2007 - TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- An injured Marine received an unexpected upgrade in his flight home from Iraq here Feb. 8.
Continue reading "Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff gives wounded warrior a lift home" »
(CBS4) MIAMI Several injured marines are part of the thousands of fans at Dolphin Stadium watching Super Bowl XLI thanks to the generosity of an NFL team owner.
Continue reading "Wounded Soldiers Treated To Super Bowl XLI" »
MT. JULIET — Gene Leigh McCollum stepped out the door Friday morning to run errands, pay some bills and have a fairly normal day. Less than five minutes later, he was a decorated war veteran.
CALEDONIA -- He lost a kidney, his spleen and almost his life.
Continue reading "Wounded Marine remembers fallen comrade" »
Matthew Bradford, 20, was serving in the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines in Haditha, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device exploded.
SAN ANTONIO -- Some limped gingerly, some rode in wheelchairs as they made their way into the tent. They had missing arms and legs, faces with no ears or with rebuilt noses, bones rebuilt with steel, shrapnel still visible in places.
Cpl. Chris Santiago spent last week in the Cayman Islands.
Continue reading "W.Va. Marine fighting back after losing legs in IED blast" »
Fundraisers planned to aid Saline reservist
Continue reading "For Marine, long list of wounds - and friends" »
MIAMI - The Miami-Dade Police Department has partnered with the organization M1 For Vets to show local servicemen and women how much they are appreciated. Lance Cpl. Patrick Howard was seriously wounded in Iraq last summer. On Tuesday, the Marine's homecoming was met with a pledge that the community will always take care of him and his family.
Continue reading "Miami-Dade Police Honor Marine Wounded In Iraq" »
MIAMI - The Miami-Dade Police Department has partnered with the organization M1 For Vets to show local servicemen and women how much they are appreciated. Lance Cpl. Patrick Howard was seriously wounded in Iraq last summer. On Tuesday, the Marine's homecoming was met with a pledge that the community will always take care of him and his family.
Continue reading "Miami-Dade Police Honor Marine Wounded In Iraq" »
A CONFLICT'S PAINFUL LEGACY: Thousands have come home from Iraq injured, sometimes severely. Here are the stories of three Marines' struggle to heal.
JEFFERSON CITY - Lance Cpl. John McClellan survived a sniper’s bullet to the skull while serving in Iraq, but Rep. Jeff Harris wanted to make sure the 20-year-old was ready for the hubbub the Marine was about to experience on the floor of the State Capitol.
Continue reading "House honors Marine recovering from attack" »
A Columbia Marine who was shot in the head by a sniper while on duty in Iraq was honored as “the living embodiment of patriotism” today on the floor of the Missouri House.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The war in Iraq hit home in Lorain County last fall with headlines about a local Marine, Lance Corporal Colin Smith, 19, being seriously wounded by an Iraqi sniper near the town of Fallujah. Smith, a 2005 graduate of Avon Lake High School, was shot in the head.
The young man speaking to me is Marine Corporal Roy Vanwey, an outpatient at the burn unit at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio. He has gorgeous brown eyes but the rest of his face is badly scarred by burns he suffered in a roadside bomb attack near the Syrian border in Iraq.
Continue reading "Honor And Sacrifice: Roy & Cassie's Story" »
Two mothers join forces
EUREKA, Calif. -- Kelly Miller has the dream once or twice a week.
Andrew Kinard came back from Iraq more than seven weeks ago, but in many ways, he’s spent the time here fighting harder than ever.
WASHINGTON — On the 52nd day of the rest of his life, Marine Lance Cpl. Eric Frazier chatted with a basketball star, enjoyed time outside soaking up an unusually mild December morning and stood for more than a minute on his new right leg.
Injured Marine Lance Cpl. Colin Smith of Avon Lake, who was initially thought to be brain-dead, recognizes his family, has regained some use of one arm and even plays tic-tac-toe with his father, according to his mother.
Continue reading "Injured Marine showing progress, Colin Smith smiling, playing tic-tac-toe" »
EL DORADO HILLS, Calif. -- A country music star joined the Sacramento community Saturday evening for a benefit conert honoring a local marine.
If a Marine survives being shot in the head, chances are he or she will be looking forward to some quiet time at home. Lance Cpl. John McClellan just wanted to waste some aliens on planet Sera.
Sitting around the dinner table this Thanksgiving, the Leddy family had plenty of reason to be thankful for the past year.
Continue reading "Injured Marine gets hero's welcome home" »
FREDERICK -- After 55 days of hospital food, surgeries and physical therapy, a Frederick Marine who has been back in the United States for two months is finally, truly, back home.
Continue reading "Family, friends welcome home wounded Iraq war veteran" »
Terrence "Shane" Burke wanted a quiet reunion with his Boston police family last evening.
TERRE HAUTE — Mike Watson struggled to hold back tears as he spoke Wednesday via telephone about his son, Lance Cpl. Chad M. Watson.
Continue reading "TH Marine loses leg after Humvee blasted by improvised explosive device" »
Lance Cpl. Timothy Lang manned the turret atop a Humvee patrolling Fallujah, Iraq, when a roadside bomb made him a casualty of war.
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – When he closes his eyes, Marine Cpl. Christopher Shelhamer can feel the bullet that tore through his body when he was ambushed while on foot patrol outside Fallujah, Iraq.
MOUNT ZION - When a Marine Corps Reserve officer called Mike Watson at work to tell him his son had been seriously injured in Iraq, he asked the officer if his son would survive.
Each time the war wounded are moved, they're taken to a higher level of medical care.
Continue reading "Flight to U.S. begins transition from warfront to homefront" »
Each time the war wounded are moved, they're taken to a higher level of medical care.
Continue reading "Flight to U.S. begins transition from warfront to homefront" »
Steven Schultz had part of his head blown off in Iraq. Shrapnel took much of Todd Herman’s face. Christopher Malone has had his legs sewn together. Ten years ago these soldiers would have died on the battlefield. Ariel Leve talks to them.
The US marine Corporal Steven Schulz, 22, talks softly and quickly as a result of his brain injury. His mother, Debbie, is sitting next to him and tells him to slow down. He nods, just a little bit embarrassed.
Just weeks before Terrence Burke would lose his right lower leg in a bomb blast in Fallujah, the rookie BPD officer had already been dubbed a hero and “all heart” by the Marines of Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 25th Marines - not an easy feat in a unit that includes four Boston cops and several city firefighters, men generally leery of “hero” tags.
Continue reading "Hub’s bravest doing double duty overseas" »
Greenfield - The Marine uniform symbolizes strength, honor and country. The men and women who answer the call live by the Marine motto "Semper Fidelis." It means "Always faithful" in Latin.
Continue reading "*Greenfield Marine fights battle at home" »
The day her Marine corporal son was wounded in Iraq will forever be etched in Dollie Radhay's mind.
"It was a living hell," said the Jersey City woman, whose son, Shaun, sustained brain, stomach and leg injuries from a mortar at tack. "I can't even explain it."
Continue reading "Funds ease some worries for injured soldiers families" »
Navy's one-stop, state-of-the-art rehabilitation center in California helps war injured realize goals
(11-08) 04:00 PST San Diego -- Nathaniel Leoncio, a petty officer third class with the U.S. Navy, was on patrol with the Marines in the Iraqi city of Ramadi a year ago when a roadside bomb exploded and changed his life. Leoncio had a host of severe wounds, including abdominal injuries that necessitated his wearing a colostomy bag for months.
Injured Marine Lance Cpl. Colin Smith has been moved to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and his condition Monday was listed as serious, according to a spokesman for the hospital.
Two weeks ago while patrolling Iraq's Al Anbar province, Lance Cpl. Jon Green's truck hit a roadside bomb.
Sgt. Mike Baker fought for his country in Iraq and now he's fighting for his life and needs his community's help. A spaghetti dinner fund-raiser will be held Saturday to raise money for his expenses while he wrangles with his newest enemy, cancer.
Continue reading "*Fund-raiser held for cancer-stricken Marine" »
KARMAH, Iraq – Petty Officer 3rd Class Dustin E. Kirby clutched the injured Marine's empty helmet. His hands were coated in blood. Sweat ran down his face, which he was trying to keep straight but which kept twisting into a snarl.
WASHINGTON — The third time he was shot was the luckiest day of Lance Cpl. John McClellan’s life.
Continue reading "Thrice-wounded Marine shows his teammates what luck really is" »
Bettye Kinard, of Greenwood, had a few words of loving precaution for her grandson, Marine 2nd Lt. Andrew Kinard, of Spartanburg, before he began his tour of duty in Iraq.
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — Chris Packley returned from Fallujah in 2004 a top marksman on a sniper team showcased in the Marine Corps Times for its 22 kills.
"I was exceptionally proud of that Marine," says Gunnery Sgt. Scott Guise, his former team leader.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 2006 – The Pentagon Channel is taking an in-depth look at post-traumatic stress disorder in a new edition of its monthly documentary “Recon.” The half-hour show, called “The Wounds Within,” explores how the understanding of PTSD has evolved from the Civil War to World Wars I and II to Vietnam and now to operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
Continue reading "Pentagon Channel ‘Recon’ Sheds Light on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder" »
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 2006 – The Pentagon Channel is taking an in-depth look at post-traumatic stress disorder in a new edition of its monthly documentary “Recon.” The half-hour show, called “The Wounds Within,” explores how the understanding of PTSD has evolved from the Civil War to World Wars I and II to Vietnam and now to operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
Continue reading "Pentagon Channel ‘Recon’ Sheds Light on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder" »
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 2006 – The Pentagon Channel is taking an in-depth look at post-traumatic stress disorder in a new edition of its monthly documentary “Recon.” The half-hour show, called “The Wounds Within,” explores how the understanding of PTSD has evolved from the Civil War to World Wars I and II to Vietnam and now to operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
Continue reading "Pentagon Channel ‘Recon’ Sheds Light on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder" »
CLEVELAND -- New details have emerged about a northeast Ohio Marine injured in Iraq
AVON LAKE, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio Marine was shot in the head while on patrol with his unit in Iraq and was flown to a hospital in Germany, where he has been placed on life support, family members said.
Continue reading "Injured Marine from Ohio put on life support" »
"The Marines talk all the time here. 'I'm having trouble with this. I need help with this,' " Staff Sgt. Lawrence Sommer says. "It's very therapeutic for them."
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Alone and in clusters, collars up to block the rain, thousands of people lined the streets on a gray October day in 2005 to welcome their warriors home. For 13 miles, they rose to wave, a few to salute, as the buses rolled slowly past. More than one tough Marine, homeward bound after a brutal tour in Iraq, shed a tear.
FREDERICK -- A Marine in a Frederick-based unit deployed to Iraq on Oct. 11 was shot twice earlier this week but is expected to make a full recovery, a unit spokesman said Friday.
Peggy and Michael Kreiser got the call around 10 a.m. on Oct. 7.
The voice on the other end of the phone belonged to a Marine Corps officer in Iraq. The Kreisers’ 26-year-old son, Lance Cpl. Jared Kreiser, had suffered injuries from a roadside bomb — one of the infamous “IEDs.”
For a woman who met Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in recent weeks, Connie McClellan is still pretty easy to impress.
Continue reading "*Treatment, son’s recovery thrill local Marine’s mom" »
NORTH COUNTY ---- For Gulf War veteran Nick Morris, it's the smell of diesel. In the case of Vietnam War veteran Charles Hargett, it's the sound of a car backfiring or the scent of Asian food.
GREENFIELD, Ind. -- The family of a Marine from Indiana is awaiting his return to the U.S. after he was severely injured in a roadside bomb blast in Iraq.
Continue reading "*Family Of Marine Severely Injured In Iraq Holds Faith" »
Call it a mother's intuition. Call it coincidence if you want.
Continue reading "Marine's call alerts family of serious wound" »
David Leddy might have thought it a routine assignment if he’d found anything routine in his mere two weeks in Iraq.
Twenty-year-old John McClellan is recovering from a gunshot wound to the head, his third combat injury.
A Marine from Columbia County who was wounded while serving in the Middle East is still fighting for his life.
It's a brotherhood not many can understand. They fight side by side putting their lives in each others hands. They spend months together in the roughest places many will never endure. They count down the days together, eat together and live together. They suffer the loss of fellow Marines, and they carry on when others are injured
Continue reading "*3rd LAR returns to MCAGCC, greeted by wounded buddy" »
No one would blame John McClellan for being bitter after getting shot in the head by a sniper in Iraq, but that’s not the Columbia Marine’s style.
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Oct. 3, 2006) -- The Jacksonville Rotary Club and AA Diving have teamed up to help Marines in the Wounded Warrior Barracks recover by becoming scuba certified here.
Marine Staff Sgt. Rudy Perez isn't due to get off duty until midnight, but by 7:30 this evening, his day feels complete.
"I see the weight lifted," says Sergeant Perez, watching a sedate but glowing reunion of wounded Cpl.Brian Smith and his family at the National Naval Medical Center.
Continue reading "*Backstory: A softer side of the Marines" »
Editor's note: This is the second of a two-part series. Part one was published on Page A1 of Sunday's Transcript.
Surgeons at Bethesda Naval Hospital prepared to drill a hole in Lance Cpl. Bret McCauley's badly swollen head to relieve pressure on his brain when he unexpectedly awoke from a two-week coma
Editor's note: This is the second of a two-part series. Part one was published on Page A1 of Sunday's Transcript.
Surgeons at Bethesda Naval Hospital prepared to drill a hole in Lance Cpl. Bret McCauley's badly swollen head to relieve pressure on his brain when he unexpectedly awoke from a two-week coma
The Columbia lance corporal has made a miraculous recovery so far after being shot in the head
When Connie and Carl McClellan of Columbia arrived at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., on Saturday, they didn’t know quite what to expect. Their son, Lance Cpl. John McClellan, 20, had survived a gunshot to the head just four days earlier while serving with 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, Echo Company in Haditha, Iraq.
As more and more Marines—wounded by roadside bombs and in shootings—continue to return from Iraq, they are surrounding themselves with other wounded Marines to share in their final phases of recovery.
His dad's youth football team has helped raise about $10,000 to ease the burden for the man's family
It has been exactly one month since it happened. Since Mike Delancey and Paula Palmer got the call.
Their son, Marine Lance Cpl. Michael Delancey, 21, had been wounded in an insurgent attack in Iraq. A bullet struck him in the back and tore through his body.
Editor’s notes: This is the first of a two part series. The second part will be published in Monday’s edition.
You hear the mortars going out, but you don’t know where they’ll land. This could be the last breath of your life.
Marine Lance Cpl. Bret McCauley of Kokomo, Ind., recalls crouching close to the ground, moving warily through a Sunni rebel neighborhood in Fallujah just before dusk.
Continue reading "Medical techniques keep soldiers in battle" »
TERRE HAUTE— Vietnam War veteran Doug Herrmann can’t hear a helicopter without tensing up.
Fireworks shot off to honor troops on Independence Day remind him of flares fired in Saigon, the capital of Vietnam.
More than 35 years after he left the nation in Southeast Asia, Herrmann still is unable to completely shake his military service in Vietnam. While soldiers returning home from war in Iraq have suffered difficulty adjusting from the war experience, soldiers in many previous wars also suffered mental and emotional distress long after they came back home and tried to adjust to civilian life.
Continue reading "Stress disorder a familiar occurrence in war veterans" »
Marine who was shot in head was awarded another Purple Heart
Lance Cpl. John McClellan, 20, has a tattoo of shamrocks below his belly button. The image symbolizes the nickname his fellow Marines gave him, “Lucky,” after he was shot in his right arm twice in one week last October, while serving with 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Echo Company in Afghanistan.