Posted on 09/17/2009 3:56:39 AM PDT by Nevyan
Forward Operating Base Shank, Afghanistan - The soldiers in his New York-based combat unit call Staff Sgt. Brandon Camacho the "Bullet Magnet."
Camacho - either the luckiest or unluckiest soldier in Afghanistan - is on his second tour here with the Fort Drum-based 10th Mountain Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
The reason for the nickname: He's just earned his fifth Purple Heart after being shot in the left knee in a firefight 100 miles south of Kabul, military officials said.
"One of my friends said, 'You're the luckiest unlucky person I know,'" said Camacho, 24, who grew up in Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. "I don't know what to make of it."
(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...
Ask any Soldier in our platoon who they admire the most and aspire to be like and it's SSG Camacho.
God bless all of you.
Salute. I wish our elected leaders loved freedom as much as SSG Camacho. Get well!
Thanks for the story, Nevyan.
Why do I get the feeling that Camacho did not type of the request for the purple hearts himself like someone else did years ago in Vietnam? The best to SSG Camacho.
I hope the wound isn't as bad as it sounds. Never-the-less, I thank you and SSG Camacho for your service.
My father received the purple heart in Korean war, but only because he was medivacted to Japan for his wound. He was wounded three other times in combat but never was put in for awards of the PH...he told me there was no time to do paper work they had to keep fighting: 187th Regimental Combat Team 1950-51
I’m guessing he’s got a lot of Chamorro blood, being from Saipan. THose guys are fighters!
Thank you and SSG Camacho for our very freedom!
My dad was hit a couple of times until a booby trap took out two men in front of him and blew off some of his leg. He got one Purple Heart. Lots of men get dinged up and just don't go to sick bay or get treated and released. At least that's what he told me. Paper work and being away from his men were the things that he didn't want to do.
He also said that some guys just have a knack for getting hit...... and he didn't know why but he laughed about staying away from them.
Funny thing is that I hear there was this guy from Assachusettes that became a senator, that was wounded 3 times and got 3 Purple Hearts....maybe this Camacho can be POTUS.
My dad was hit a couple of times until a booby trap took out two men in front of him and blew off some of his leg. He got one Purple Heart. Lots of men get dinged up and just don't go to sick bay or get treated and released. At least that's what he told me. Paper work and being away from his men were the things that he didn't want to do.
He also said that some guys just have a knack for getting hit...... and he didn't know why but he laughed about staying away from them.
Funny thing is that I hear there was this guy from Assachusettes that became a senator, that was wounded 3 times and got 3 Purple Hearts....maybe this Camacho can be POTUS.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.