U.S. Marine Becomes First Blind Double Amputee to Re-Enlist

Quote:

---

He has no legs and no eyesight, but Marine Cpl. Matthew Bradford has four more years of military service ahead of him after becoming the first blind double-amputee to re-enlist.

The rifleman was injured in January 2007 in Iraq when a roadside bomb exploded right under him, the San Antonio Express-News reported.

But after years at the Center for the Intrepid, a privately funded, cutting-edge rehabilitation center, Bradford, 23, has learned to walk with prosthetic limbs and navigate without his vision, and he only regrets that he can’t return to combat duty in Iraq, the paper reported.

Instead the Kentucky native will head to Camp Lejeune, N.C., where he will work with other wounded Marines in hopes of helping them cope with anger, depression and other issues.

"I'm paving the road for the rest of them who want to stay in but think they can't," he told the Express-News. "I'm ready to get back to work."

---

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010...est=latestnews

God bless him and his family.

I think its great.
This Marine will do a lot of good in his new job.

...where do we find men like this? How do you define courage....truly, this man IS a hero.

Godspeed, Marine.

Semper Fi bro. Ya'll ever seen a Sergeant of Marines salute a Corporal? Well, that's what this Sergeant is doing.

I've long wondered why the US military would not take advantage of the available manpower and talent in the noncombat/nevercombat kind of jobs and the answer has always been kind of ritual, "Everyone is supposed to be fit for combat." which of course is never the case.

Good for them. Hopefully this will open the door to military service for people who are patriotic and completely capable of doing behind the scenes stuff but not able to run marathons or climb mountains.

After all he's been through, the only real regret Marine Cpl. Matthew Bradford says he has now is not being able to return to combat duty in Iraq.

But Wednesday, Bradford, 23, made Marine Corps history, becoming the first blind double amputee to re-enlist. In keeping with service tradition, Bradford was honorably discharged and allowed to say a few words as a civilian before re-enlisting.

“Sign me up, sir!” he told Lt. Col. David Barnes, who administered the oath of enlistment, extending Bradford's military career by another four years.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/military...wFullArticle=y


True hero. And proud to have him protecting me and our nation.

I'm glad that the military is willing to continue to give this man a purpose and to not make his sacrifice in vain.