Posted on 05/31/2008 3:55:59 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar
His hearing isn’t as keen as it once was, and arthritis in his lower back is chronic.
He’s not an old man, just a 38-year-old U.S. Marine who tussled with death and won.
Marine Corps Master Sgt. Michael Burghardt of Fountain Valley, Calif., says it took him a long time to recover emotionally from surviving a roadside bomb in Iraq in September 2005. An explosives ordnance disposal expert, Burghardt was 12 inches from the blast.
Instead of counting his blessings that the shrapnel studded flat against his body instead of tearing through it, Burghardt was wracked by guilt.
The attention generated by the widely circulated photo of him flipping off the triggerman didn’t help.
Getting recognition "that I survived when I should have been dead made me feel guilty because I had lost … fellow EOD technicians who … were my friends," he said. Time and counseling helped him realize "I was still here to tell their story."
Burghardt, the previous EOD chief at Camp Fuji, Japan, until his reassignment in April, can’t imagine doing anything else, despite three tours in Iraq and the obvious job hazards.
It gives him the opportunity to serve his country, save the lives of others and play the most adrenaline-packed chess game of his life, he said.
"You’re doing your moves, the bad guy’s doing his moves, and nothing is ever the same," he said. "For people who love a challenge, this is a perfect job."
The junior EOD Marines keep him motivated, he said. "If I leave, who are they going to learn from?" he said.
Anyone familiar with the photo?
/johnny
/johnny
Thanks!
God bless this brave Marine.
How do I post a photo here?
I’m sorry to ask such a basic question.
That Marine is what America should be. Instead, fully one half of our population doesn’t enough spine to fill his middle finger.
I have seen the photo and was stationed at Camp Taqaddum, Iraq (Al Anbar Province) when MSgt Burghardt’s defiance was caught on camera. God bless this United States Marine. He has nothing to feel guilty about, though I know he always will.
A classic line from a classy devil dog.
UUUUU ahhhh!
Were there ACLU lawyers waiting to charge that brave marine with indecent exposure upon arrival at home?
First “<” then “img src=” then cut and paste the properties in and close with a “> “. All without the quotes but except for the quoates it will look like this in teh comments boxc but just the photo shows in the preview and post: “<” “img src =” http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:fx7LmcoVOedGdM:http://www.cnrc.navy.mil/chicago/images/USMC%2520Globe.jpg “>”
And here in CONUS, stood in line at the PX pizza shop (near Pope AFB) behind 2 grunts that were obviously out running their PT(shorts, t-shirt, running shoes, and lots of smelly sweat) and stopped in for pizza. I looked down and saw that one had his left leg replaced with a prosthetic, and one his right. Both below the knee.
Later that month, some airborne re-qualified for their wings.
I am honored and proud that they are Americans.
/johnny
He has nothing to be ashamed of if you ask me. I wish I was half the man he is.
And bring him healing.
Amen.
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