Posted on 10/17/2010 6:48:36 PM PDT by Gondring
The number sequence 4-13 has special meaning for an Ellenville soldier, whose eyes are focused perhaps like never before.
The strong and sturdy man in the wheelchair has, in fact, made four hours and 13 seconds his goal for the 35th annual Marine Corps Marathon.
That’s the finish time he’s aiming for in the 26.2-mile course that will begin Oct. 31 in the North Pentagon parking lot in Arlington, Va.
You can see the determination all over his face. [...] Perhaps spurred by painful memories of a mission that he never got to finish, the soldier’s workout grows fiercer.
It is part of the character of a U.S. Marine. That proud, steely determination has overtaken the man bound and humbled by his wheelchair.
The elongated scar running down the left side of his forehead tells the whole story.
Sgt. Eddie Ryan was hit in the head April 13, 2005, by two .30-caliber rounds from a tank.
He and some fellow Marines were positioned on a rooftop in Ramadi, in central Iraq, an area heavily concentrated with insurgents.
Ryan, who was part of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, was hit by friendly fire.
[...]
“I expired twice on the rooftop. I came back from the dead twice.”
Thus, the numbers 4-13, what Ryan calls his “alive day.”
“It was gruesome. I wasn’t supposed to live,” he said.
The wounds resulted in a brain injury that has affected Ryan’s motor skills and speech, though he has undergone physical therapy in the hope of being able to walk again.[...]
(Excerpt) Read more at dailyfreeman.com ...
And before anyone complains...he's a Marine marine soldier. Soldier and marine are generic terms, as well as specific. :-)
Please move to another place if more appropriate than here. Thanks!
Here's another story about a brave man to add to the list: Blinded Marine Amputee is 'Ready to Get Back to Work' -- 09-24-10
Marine 'Ready to Get Back to Work'.pdf
Excellent! Thank you!
BS. Marine is a formal title that is earned and needs to be capitalized. soldier on the other hand is generic. Big difference between the two.
Apparently, you never earned said title.
“Marine” is not “marine”
Thank you for this link. I have a letter from Sgt Ryan’s mother that I received a long time ago.
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