Overcoming Adversity

Marine amputee rejoins battalion

Marine amputee rejoins battalion; returns to combat after near death experience

Article and photos by Sgt. Ray Lewis

Task Force 2d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force

Monday, October 27, 2008  CAMP BARBER, Helmand Province, Afghanistan – There was blood in the water. It was a grim addition to the Iraqi sewage canal usually littered with dead sheep and festering fish.

That’s where the Marines of Company E, 2d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division found their comrade after the attack.

Just seconds before, Cpl. Garrett S. Jones was patrolling the streets of Iraq with his team when he was suddenly hurled 15 feet into the air by an enemy booby trap.

“It was just a big dust cloud,” said Cpl. Robert C. Pofahl, who stood 10 feet in front of Jones when the bomb detonated. “I ran toward him, and I fell in the canal. The mud was almost up to my knees. It was probably the worst smell you could smell. That’s when I saw the blood in the water.”

When Pofahl saw Jones lying there, he feared his friend’s life was cut short. Barely alive, Jones’ life was about to be changed forever.

Pofahl remembers an explosion, tumbling forward, turning back around and hearing Jones yell at the top of his lungs. He then raced to put a tourniquet on Jones’ mangled bloody left leg.

“It sounded like I was whispering and because of the explosion, I couldn’t catch my breath,” Jones said.

When Pofahl arrived at Jones’ position, he realized he couldn’t lift him out of the canal. The muddy water almost made it impossible for Pofahl to grab a hold of Jones.

The Recovery of J.R. Salzman

WASHINGTON — The fog stands out for him now. It was the densest he'd seen, not just in Iraq, but ever, a foreboding murk that repelled even the spotlights on his Humvee. The dampness had turned the ground at supply base into muddy slop. For some reason, he had felt compelled to snap a lot of photos that night. Otherwise, the night of December 19, 2006, was shaping up to be routine for J.R. Salzman: an all-night drive leading 20 empty fuel tankers south through Baghdad to Tallil Air Base, watching for bombs all the way.

He crammed himself into the passenger seat, swaddled in the gear of war: two radios, a GPS and a computer on the console, an M4 carbine rifle, night vision goggles, body armor on his person, a cooler full of drinks. He carried more ammo than anyone else in his unit — always saying that if he died in Iraq, it wouldn't be for lack of bullets — and fully outfitted, he was heavy enough that he had to sit on a cushion he called his "ass pillow." Salzman had been running these sorts of escorts for most of a year, and if there was one thing he had learned, it was to bring a cushion. The two times he forgot it, he was sore for weeks.

Below-knee amputee runs for berth in 2012 Paralympics

CHULA VISTA, Calif. (July 22,2009) -- Sgt. Jerrod Fields capped his track and field season by winning a gold medal at the 2009 Endeavor Games and setting his sights on the 2012 Paralympics.

Fields, a below-the-knee amputee sprinter in the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, won the 100 meters with a time of 12.15 seconds June 13 in Edmond, Okla., site of the Endeavor Games for athletes with physical disabilities.

U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program Paralympic sprinter hopeful Sgt. Jerrod Fields works out at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. A below-the-knee amputee, Fields won a gold medal in the 100 meters with a time of 12.15 seconds at the Endeavor Games in Edmond, Okla., on June 13.  Photo Credit: Tim Hipps.

Earlier this spring, he finished second against an able-bodied field of collegiate sprinters with a 12.0 clocking in the 100 meters at the Occidental Invitational in Los Angeles, Calif.

Fields' coach, Al Joyner, believes his sprinter will flirt with world records on the road to London for the 2012 Parlympics.

"I think he's a potential world record-holder," Joyner said in early February. "I would put my money on him in both the 100 and 200."

There's little reason to doubt Joyner, an Olympic gold medalist and Jim Thorpe Award winner who helped his late wife, Florence Griffith-Joyner, and sister, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, sprint and jump for Olympic gold during their illustrious careers.

"I'm not going to let PTSD bring me down."

Wounded Corpsmen Trades Alcohol, Pills For Marathon

By Fred W. Baker III American Forces Press Service

Navy corpsman Petty Officer Daniel "Doc" Jacobs surveys his supply of medications to restock the medic bags for his 14 junior corpsmen who care for five companies of Marines attending the school of infantry at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Jacobs is a seriously wounded warrior who chose to stay on active duty despite his injuries. DoD photo by Fred W. Baker III

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif., Nov. 1, 2008 — Navy Corpsman Daniel "Doc" Jacobs didn't know he suffered from post traumatic stress disorder. But he knew he had a problem.

"I actually almost ended up killing myself because of it," Jacobs said.

He woke up one morning in late 2006 in a pool of his own urine and sweat after mixing his prescription medications with alcohol. He had blacked out and remembered nothing after the first couple of beers, Jacobs said.

Jacobs turned 21 that year and was recovering from the blast of a roadside bomb in Iraq and still was using a wheelchair. After his left leg was amputated, Jacobs said he started having a lot of pain. He had problems sleeping for several months, and when he did sleep, it was fitful and he had nightmares.

"Why did I survive?"

Sergeant major shares special bond with AW2 Soldiers

By Devin Fisher, Fort Carson Mountaineer

FORT CARSON, Colo. - Four years after flat lining twice on the operating table in Balad, Iraq, the Army Wounded Warrior Program Sergeant Major is still battling with the question, "Why did I survive?"

Sgt. Maj. Brent Jurgersen, who celebrated his fourth "alive day" anniversary Jan. 26, still wonders why he survived after two rocket-propelled grenades struck his Humvee but his gunner, Sgt. William Scott Kinzer Jr., did not.

"I know they call it survivor's guilt, but whatever they call it, no matter how much you talk about it, it is still there," Jurgersen said.

Jurgersen's injuries from Jan. 26, 2005, included a compressed skull fracture, which left him with a traumatic brain injury; his left leg being amputated above the knee, severe damage to his right knee, his right hand had been fractured and burned, a finger nearly being ripped off and several shrapnel wounds and burns to other parts of his body.

Sgt. Maj. Brent Jurgensen stresses abilities, not disabilities, on Army poster.  By: US Army.

Jurgersen was flown to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, where he was stabilized and then to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where he remained in critical condition. He regained consciousness five days later.

He recalls his wife standing at his bedside when he awoke from the coma.

SF Soldier becomes the first amputee to complete Jumpmaster Course

By SFC Jason B. Baker

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (USASOC News Service Feb. 6, 2008) – For most Soldiers when they join the Army there are a set of schools they set their eyes on as goals to complete. Schools like, Air Assault, Ranger and Pathfinder. For any airborne qualified non-commissioned officer the natural goal would be the Jumpmaster Course.

RAEFORD, NC -- Right, Maj. Robert Blease, team chief, 274th Forward Sugrical Team talks with Sgt. 1st Class Mike Fairfax, Special Forces Operations & Intelligence Sergeant, Operations Detachment, 3rd Special Forces Group following an airborne operation over P.K. Drop Zone, Raeford, North Carolina Dec. 3, 2008. Blease, an orthopaedic surgean has performed surgery on Fairfax and played an intregal role in his rehabilitation. (Photo by Ken Kassens)

For one NCO achieving this goal faced more than just a minor set back; but Sgt. 1st Class John (Mike) Fairfax, Special Forces Intelligence NCO, Headquarters Support Company, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), became the first amputee Soldier to successfully complete the Jumpmaster Course, Nov.15 and performed his first duty Dec. 3.

For Fairfax, this journey began the summer of 2005 in a remote region of Afghanistan when his truck was struck by an improvised explosive device. In the attack he suffered a severe injury to his right leg, as well as injuries to his right eye and left lung. His team’s medic, Sgt. 1st Class Derrick Coyme, quickly went to work to stop the massive bleeding caused by the severed femoral artery. Just before going unconscious Fairfax faced the realistic possibility he may not survive the attack, due to his heavy loss of blood and the team’s remote location.

Fortunately, he survived, and his next memory is waking to the voice of his wife at his bedside in the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Fairfax knew he was not in the best condition, but felt committed to recovering from his injuries.

“It never crossed my mind that I wouldn’t get back to a team,” said Farifax. “My only goal was to get better and continue on with business as usual.”

Initially, Fairfax still had his right leg, through several surgeries and battles with infection, doctors were able to save it and he began the long road of rehabilitation.

December of that same year, Fairfax returned to the group and his leadership gave him one mission: “go get better.”

By June 2006 Fairfax was back to work, but spent over a year struggling with the pain of the injured leg. After several surgeries to repair the leg to make it more functional and reduce the pain had failed, a friend and fellow amputee joked that he should just cut the leg off.

Warrant Officer School Accepts First Amputee

First U.S. Army Amputee Accepted to U.S. Army Warrant Officer School

By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg  Special to American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2009 – The U.S. Army Warrant Officer School soon will welcome a new accession of warrant officers this spring, and one will bring with him a new perspective to the Army officer corps. Staff Sgt. Jonathan Holsey is the first amputee accepted into the U.S. Army Warrant Officer School. Holsey, who lost his leg following a roadside bomb explosion in Iraq, is to report to the school at Fort Rucker, Ala., in April 2009. Courtesy photo   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Staff Sgt. Johnathan Holsey became the first amputee accepted by the Warrant Officer School in Fort Rucker, Ala., where he is to report in April. He is currently assigned to Human Resources Command in Alexandria, Va. Along with other wounded warriors, he’s scheduled to be a guest on today's "Oprah Winfrey Show.” Holsey was injured Nov. 11, 2004, in Iraq where he was assigned to the 1st Battalion of the 503rd Infantry Regiment. A roadside bomb caused severe damage to his left leg. Two weeks after arriving at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, and one day before Thanksgiving, the doctors told Holsey they needed to remove his leg due to severe infection. “I remember the day when the doctor came in,” he recalled. “I remember the doctor coming in on the 22nd of November and … he told me that it was best that we amputate, but it was [my] choice.” Holsey said losing his leg was particularly challenging for him and his children. But through faith and family support, he was able to persevere and come through stronger and more focused. “Family is very important to the recovery process,” he added. Hosey has thought a lot about his recovery and how he can continue to meet the challenges of being an amputee. “I’m blessed in my recovery, and I try to challenge myself to figure it out,” he said. “Even though you might have lost your leg it doesn’t mean you can’t do … things. You just have to figure out how to balance it or figure out how to do it.” Nearly five months after his injury, Holsey was fitted for his first prosthetic leg. He learned how to manage without a leg by participating in some of the hospital’s coordinated activities, such as skiing and fishing. “You have all these questions … things you probably never thought of,” he said. “Before I became an amputee, I can honestly say I never met one and probably never knew [one].” Since his injury, Holsey has continued facing challenges head-on, never shying away from them, while seamlessly pursuing his desire to serve his country. “I have always liked being in front,” Holsey said. “I never accepted things as being mediocre.” In March 2006, soon after completing his rehabilitation at Walter Reed, Holsey attended the Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, or BNCOC. His journey to become the first amputee accepted to Warrant Officer School was materializing. “It was an interesting thing for me, because I was one of the first [human resources] soldiers to go as an amputee,” Holsey said. “I felt that even though I wanted to stay -- I wanted to be a soldier regardless -- this is what we do. I wanted to go the next rank and knew this was something I had to do.” Holsey said that BNCOC was interesting for him and the trainers, who initially questioned whether he would complete his annual physical fitness test. “BNCOC, for me, was pretty interesting,” he said. “They were like, ‘You are an amputee. How do we give you your PT test?’” Holsey wanted to participate in physical training and sought guidance from his immediate supervisors so he could perform his annual test. Holsey said he remains on active duty in part because of the people he has met throughout his career. In fact, he said, one soldier he mentored contacted him many years later just to thank him for his leadership. “He said, ‘Thank you for being there throughout all of the things that I put you through’ and ‘You were still my sergeant, no matter what,’” Holsey said. “I think that was one of the most memorable things that … made me realize this is why I want to stay around.’” (This is the sixth installment of the Wounded Warrior Diaries series. Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg is assigned to the Emerging Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)

Related Articles: Wounded Warrior Diaries

Canine Handler's Rehab Leads Back To Iraq

Canine Handler Battles Injuries to Return to Duty

Christopher Burrell, Sgt., U.S. Army

U.S. Army Sgt. Chris Burrell is focused on his rehabilitation since losing a leg in an explosion in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood on Dec. 26, 2007. Courtesy photo

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2008 – Despite losing a leg in combat, Army Sgt. Chris Alvin Burrell is focusing on his rehabilitation to one day return to what he calls his “normal day of work.”

“My main focus right now is to heal properly and quickly in the right timeframe, and just make sure I’m healed to where I can return to duty,” said Burrell, who is assigned to the 16th Military Police Brigade’s 108th MP Company, Airborne Air Assault on Fort Bragg, N.C.

Prior to his injury, Burrell was an MP in Iraq. The best part of the job, he said, was working with the military dogs, which is something he hopes to return to soon.

"If I quit the enemy wins….."

Derek McGinnis is currently working towards his Masters Degree in Social Work as he completes his internship.  He has a Bachelor of Science in Business Health Care Administration.  Derek is married.  He and Andrea, his wife, have two sons, Sean and Ryan.  In between working towards his degree, completing his internship, running triathlons and working as a volunteer with the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund (IMSFF), he holds down a full-time job.  That adds up to a pretty busy lifestyle. 

Back in July of 2007, Derek was medically discharged from the Navy.  Derek was a Corpsman attached to 3rd LAR out of 29 Palms, California, in Fallujah, Iraq in November of 2004.  What happened since that day in November of 2004 is nothing short of a miracle.  Actually a series of miracles have occurred since the day a suicide bomber (VBIED) rammed an ambulance Derek was riding in on his way to get two injured Marines.