Happy Father's Day - The World's Strongest Dad

Posted By Blackfive

This is a repost from 2006.  It still holds true today.

The first time that I was ever "published" was centered around an event when my son was injured and needed surgery at the age of two.  I've been through a lot in my life, but nothing ever like that terrible night in 2003.  We were at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago - a phenomenal organization. I remember asking our amazing nurse if she went home and drank herself numb every night because I couldn't understand how someone could be that strong and not need a crutch.  My wife, at one point, thought we should set her up with one of my friends.  I thought about it, and then said, "None of them are good enough for her."  (Sorry guys)

I wrote a letter about my experience feeling helpless as father and asked for support for Children's Memorial Hospital.  It was published by a major Chicago paper on Father's Day.  And my son was fine a few days after our visit.  I remember thinking about all of the parents at the hospital who's sons and daughters had bigger problems than we faced.  Parents will be strong because they have to be strong.  But exactly how strong can one dad be?

So, this brings us to the world's strongest dad - a father among fathers.  Blackfive reader Ron sends this story from Sports Illustrated's Rick Reilly about Dick and Rick Hoyt (Dick is a retired Air National Guard Lieutenant Colonel).  It's a great story about a father and son who saved each other.  I thought it would be a great story to read this weekend:

Strongest Dad in the World
Rick Reilly
Sports Illustrated Issue date: June 20, 2005, p. 88

I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay for their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.

But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.

Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars -- all in the same day.

Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. on a bike. Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much -- except save his life.

This love story began in Winchester, Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.

"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life," Dick says doctors told him and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. "Put him in an institution."

But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was anything to help the boy communicate. "No way," Dick says he was told. "There's nothing going on in his brain."

"Tell him a joke," Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a lot was going on in his brain.

Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? "Go Bruins!" And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the school organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, "Dad, I want to do that."

Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described "porker" who never ran more than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried. "Then it was me who was handicapped," Dick says. "I was sore for two weeks."

That day changed Rick's life. "Dad," he typed, "when we were running, it felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!"

And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.

"No way," Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then they found a way to get into the race officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the qualifying time for Boston the following year.

Then somebody said, "Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?"

How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick tried.

Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii. It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? "No way," he says. Dick does it purely for "the awesome feeling" he gets seeing Rick with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992 -- only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time.

"No question about it," Rick types. "My dad is the Father of the Century."

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries was 95% clogged. "If you hadn't been in such great shape," one doctor told him, "you probably would've died 15 years ago."

So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.

Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass., always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.

That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.

"The thing I'd most like," Rick types, "is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once."

Photo from Team Hoyt

Like Rick Reilly, compared to Dick Hoyt, I suck.

Here is a glimpse of the remarkable father-son bond of Dick and Rick Hoyt, and their inspirational journey together in a triathlon and life itself - it's amazing:

If you would like to sponsor Team Hoyt, contact information is below:

Team Hoyt
241 Mashapaug Road
Holland, MA
01521
Fax: (413) 245-9554
Email: teamhoyt@cox.net
Web www.teamhoyt.com

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Specialist David Hutchinson - Someone You Should Know

Posted By Blackfive  
SPC Hutchinson with Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Specialist David Hutchinson received his Silver Star on the parade grounds at Texas A&M University.  His decisions and actions saved a lot of soldiers.

Soldier to Receive Silver Star for Valor Under Fire
416th Engineering Command
Story by Capt. Corey Schultz
Date: 06.06.2009
Posted: 06.06.2009 07:21

On June 6, the 65th anniversary of D-Day, Spc. David Hutchinson will become only the fifth Army Reserve Soldier to receive the Silver Star. While deployed to Afghanistan with the 420th Engineering Brigade, Hutchinson attacked and destroyed an enemy machine gun nest, an act of valor that was instrumental in saving the lives of 16 fellow Soldiers.

On the morning of May 21, 2008, 17 Army Reserve Soldiers of the 420th Engineer Brigade Personal Security Detail were traveling through the mountains of Afghanistan in a convoy of four Humvees. Hutchinson rode in the third Humvee, manning a MK-19 40 mm grenade launcher.

About 20 enemy insurgents attacked in a coordinated ambush from fortified fighting positions no more than 70 meters away. They fired multiple RPGs immediately followed by small arms: AK-47s, AK-74s, sniper rifles – and a PKM machine gun.

The enemy boldly attempted to destroy the convoy with RPGs, even moving from cover to engage the convoy. The 420th Eng. Bde. Soldiers immediately returned fire.

The enemy had fire superiority - until Hutchinson engaged the machine gun nest with devastating firepower, destroying it. Hutchinson's fire was so effective in disrupting the enemy's efforts that the enemy concentrated their attack on him and his MK-19.

Hutchinson held his position under intense fire, continuing to place fire on the remaining enemy in total disregard of his own peril. Other Soldiers later counted over 100 bullet holes in the turret of his Humvee.

Hutchinson expended an entire ammo can, destroying the machine gun position and killing five enemy before he was seriously wounded by fire from a RPG. Shrapnel hit his right leg and caused him to collapse into the crew compartment.

Even after collapsing from his wounds, Hutchinson saw that his first sergeant was severely injured, with gaping shrapnel wounds to the face and head. Despite his own serious wounds, Hutchinson calmly administered first aid to the other Soldier, controlling the bleeding as the convoy moved out of the kill zone.

When the medevac arrived, Hutchinson refused to be carried out and despite his serious wounds insisted the single litter be used for the first sergeant. This freed other Soldiers to provide security and reduced the time the medevac spent on the ground.

Hutchinson's actions were without a doubt the primary disruptor of the enemy. His actions contributed to the safety of 17 Soldiers and showed extraordinary courage, loyalty and selfless service under fire.

Hutchinson was born in Humble, Texas, and graduated Brenham High School in 2005. He enlisted in the Army Reserve in December 2005 and is currently assigned to the 420th Engineer Brigade. In his civilian occupation he works for AT&T as a retail sales associate. In addition to the Silver Star, Hutchison has been awarded the Purple Heart, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Global War on Terrorism and Combat Action Badge.

The Silver Star is awarded to a person who, while serving in any capacity with the U.S. Army, is cited for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force, or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party. The required gallantry, while of a lesser degree than that required for the Distinguished Service Cross, must nevertheless have been performed with marked distinction.

More here at KBTX including video of the ceremoney and a brief interview with SPC Hutchinson.

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The Asset - Another Iraqi Hero In Need

Posted By Blackfive

RE: Trying to Kill Heroes

Below is a story that took four months of investigative work.  It's about an Iraqi that is American at heart:

The Undercover Iraqi Asset
An Iraqi double agent killed for America. But when he got left behind, a Marine stepped in
By Diana Ljungaeus, Frank Megna
published: May 21, 2009

Faris Al-Baghdadi sits like a contented prince under a date palm in the sunny courtyard of his father’s home, which he calls the House of Books, and where he learned to love Western culture. He watches his infant son wobble to his feet. The boy grins at his mother, who kneels nearby. An instant later, the peace is broken by the sound of Metallica.

Al-Baghdadi awakes with a gasp, rolls over and turns off the alarm. The joy of that distant afternoon at the House of Books has vanished. In its place he finds a motel room and a deep, desperate sense of loss. His baby son, Medhi, died in a massive bombing many years ago. His wife, daughter and second son live 6,000 miles away. And Al-Baghdadi, once a valuable asset to American forces in Iraq, asks himself if he’s a hero — or a fool.

<...>

Among all the Iraqis who aided American forces, few proved to be more valuable and fewer still risked as much as Faris Al-Baghdadi (his name has been changed by L.A. Weekly).

<...>

But Al-Baghdadi suddenly lost his cover in 2005, when the U.S. pulled his funding and support. Two enemy assassination squads tried to kill Al-Baghdadi, military officials tell the Weekly, yet U.S. officials failed to cut through the red tape to help him flee Iraq, and refused him and his family the refuge of a permanent home in America.

It was his U.S. Marine comrades, acting entirely “on a volunteer basis,” who aided him, through a harrowing and dangerous escape from Iraq...

Read the whole story here at LA Weekly.

Update: According to a source, "Recently, The Asset learned that he is losing his teaching contract at Camp Pendleton in August, leaving him faced with no income, with his Iraqi wife and kids back in Sweden, and him without a country..."

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"I think my mother prayed me out of that camp"

Posted By Subsunk

He Kept His Faith In The Man Upstairs

Submariner survived 3½ years in Japanese POW camp

The Day, May 29, 2009 

Ernest “Ernie” Plantz survived 1,297 days as a prisoner of war during World War II because he had a “strong belief in the man upstairs” and the will to live.

”I never, ever really thought I was really going to die,” he said. “… I think my mother prayed me out of that camp. She was very religious. I wasn't a particularly religious boy. I had been raised Baptist, went to church, but like most teenagers I wasn't too religious. But I'm convinced that's what got me out, between my mother and the man upstairs.”

Continue reading ""I think my mother prayed me out of that camp""

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Memorial Day 2009

Posted By McQ

During the Milblogger’s conference in Washington DC, I went to Arlington National Cemetery to watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It’s a ceremony that happens every half hour, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is a somber reminder of the sacrifice many have made in the service of this nation.

As I was leaving Arlington I ran into a young man with his wife and new baby walking along one of the paths. He had a 101st Airborne Division tattoo and I naturally engaged him in conversation, asking which unit he’d served with and when he’d been in Iraq. We talked for a moment while his wife and child stood by and then, as I began to leave, I thanked him for his service and welcomed him home.

He sort of ducked his head for a second and then looked at me and shyly said, “thank you too”. I smiled. He ducked his head again and glanced at his family. Then, looking me straight in the eye, but in a voice that was lower so only I could hear he said, “I have some friends here I need to say goodbye too”. He said it knowing I’d understand. I nodded in answer, reached out and put my hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. We parted, he with his family and me with my thoughts.

What that young soldier was doing is what Memorial Day is all about. And our chance meeting drove that simple point home to me as nothing has before. Memorial Day is about remembering those in the military who made the ultimate sacrifice. General John J Pershing once said of that sacrifice that “time will never dim the glory of their deeds”. But unless we make a real effort to remember those who have fallen, they may not be remembered the way they deserve to be remembered.

My father served for 36 years in the Army and was a veteran of 3 wars. He was an armor officer – a tanker. During WWII he fought on Saipan, Leyte and Okinawa. As you might imagine he was a tough old guy not given much to displays of emotion. But on Saipan my dad lost his best friend in the world to a sniper. Lt Bill Dorey was his name and he was from PA. Dorey and my father were extremely close, more like brothers than friends. Dorey was a heck of soldier too – recognized by all as an outstanding tank commander and leader. My father called him the best armor officer he ever knew, and that was tall praise from my dad.

Dorey was killed trying to help a wounded GI get out of the line of fire. From the time I can remember, I knew Dorey’s name and story. It was one of the few stories my dad would tell us about his war experiences. But you could tell Dorey’s death haunted him.

Of course, life goes on, families are raised and we get old. Some 50 years after the war my father and mother were traveling through PA and Dorey’s home town happened to be nearby. My dad was active in veterans organizations and he figured that if anyone would know of Bill Dorey, it would be the local American Legion post. They stopped by and asked. Like I said, it was 50 years after the war, and no one there knew the name. But one of the men went to the back and brought out an old scrapbook saying a lot of the guys from the area who had served were in there. Sure enough, about half way through, my dad turned the page and there was a picture of a forever young and smiling Bill Dorey, in uniform and exactly as my dad remembered him.

My mom says my dad just broke down when he saw Dorey's picture. All of that had been bottled up in there since the war and just needed to come out. 50 years later, he was still grieving over Dorey’s loss. All his life he’d kept Dorey’s memory alive. Not only that, he’d passed it on to his sons. And I’ve passed it on to my son. I’ve also added names from my era to be remembered, like my good friend Stuart Barnette – “Barney” – who was killed in action in Vietnam.

Memorial Day is about those who gave up their tomorrows for our today. They’re the men and women who forever gave up the chance to see and hold the child born while they were at war. The chance to again caress their husband or wife and tell them they love them. The chance to hold their mother's hand and bask in her sweet smile one last time. Or to stare in pure awe at their first grandchild.

They gave it all in the service of their country, and it is our job as citizens of this great land to remember them and their sacrifice. So the next time you are near a national cemetery, take some time and stop in with your family and spend a moment with the heroes who are buried there.

They are all someone you should know.

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Thank You Sergeant Jeffers

Posted By Deebow

Lot of talk nowadays about "hope."  I think Sergeant Eddie Jeffers, who wrote a little something about “Hope” a while back, knows about it too.

 

Right now, the burden is all on the American soldiers. Right now, hope rides alone. But it can change, it must change. Because there is only failure and darkness ahead for us as a country, as a people, if it doesn't.

 

Sergeant Eddie Jeffers was killed on September 19^th 2007 in Ramadi.  I think about him and his loss on this day, even though I never knew him, because his greatness, his talent and his growth as a young man will never be realized as an old man. 

 

And for those that don’t know Sergeant Eddie Jeffers, he had a blog about his experiences in Ramadi and around Iraq.  And this piece was very prescient and spoke a great deal about the experiences of the young men and women who are walking the mean streets of Iraq.

 

I never walked patrol with him, but I would like to have.  We walked some of the same figurative ground in our lives.  I saw the same spark that he had in his writing in the eyes and heart of the young men women that I had the privilege of leading and serving with in Afghanistan.  The fire of youth, idealism and their fierceness of purpose that I see there continues to leave me awestruck. 

 

And I see that same spark in every one of the veterans I have ever spoken to who have looked out the door of a C-53 into the darkness over the English Channel, tightened their harness and wondered how long death would tug at their elbow before they would have to turn and look, shivered around a fire at the Chosin Reservoir with their comrades trying to keep their weapons unfrozen and their bodies warm or, walked point through the steamy jungles of Vietnam with sweat smearing their camo paint.

 

I know Eddie and the kind of man that he was, even at 23.  Eddie knew what all soldiers know; that the fate of the world can often rest on the shoulders of young American soldiers, doing what their country asks them to do. 

 

With 120 Sergeant Eddie Jeffers, and the authors here at B5, I could rule the world…

 

Hope Rides Alone?  Not anymore Eddie, thanks to you and everyone else who turned "Hope" from something that no one could grasp into something real…

 

And to those who agreed that they would forfeit all of their tomorrows so that I could be free today.

 

 

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Posted By Blackfive

Army Sgt. John Hoxie, who lost an arm and a leg during combat in Iraq, watches 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers run down Longstreet Road on Fort Bragg, N.C., during Division Run, the kickoff event for this year's All American Week celebration May 18 - 21. Hoxie has been recuperating from his wounds at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, but journeyed to Fort Bragg to take part in All American Week and see friends from his old unit, Company C, 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Mike Pryor

A Warrior Returns

May 21, 2009

Army News Service
By SSG Mike Pryor

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - Of all the people who gathered on a gray and rainy Monday morning to watch the 82nd Airborne Division kick off its annual All American Week celebration with a division-wide cohesion run, perhaps no one faced more obstacles to be there than Sgt. John Hoxie.

Hoxie, 24, lost his left arm and leg to an I.E.D. while serving with the 82nd in Iraq in 2007.

For almost two years, he has been recovering from his wounds at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Silver Spring, Md. Despite his injuries, and the fact that he was only recently cleared to travel by his doctors, the Philippi, W.V. native was determined take part in this year's celebration.

The morning of the run, Hoxie watched the runners pass by from his motorized wheelchair. He showed little sign of the emotions that were running through him. It was only when Paratroopers from his unit let out a cheer when they saw him that Hoxie cracked a smile.

"I'm just glad to be here. It's been a goal for a while," Hoxie said, "other people (at Walter Reed) are like 'I can't wait to get out,' but I can't wait to get back."

Hoxie's battalion commander, Lt. Col. Patrick Hynes, said Hoxie was a role model for Soldiers everywhere.

"After all his injuries and rehabilitation he's been through, he still wants nothing more than to be a part of the unit. That says it all about him and about the kind of unit he belongs to," Hynes said.

Although All American Week was the first time Hoxie has been back to Fort Bragg since being injured, he never came off the rolls at his unit, Company C, 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. And Hoxie never stopped thinking of himself as a part of the team.

"I try to think of myself as just a regular Soldier with a mission to do," Hoxie said.
Hoxie was doing his mission on Aug. 20, 2007, on a combat foot patrol in Iraq, when he stepped on a pressure-activated I.E.D.

"It felt like time was moving really slow . . . I started to call out 'I.E.D.!' but it blew up," Hoxie said.

Hoxie's friend Staff Sgt. Evan Mace was the first person to reach him after the explosion.

"His leg was disintegrated, and his hand was missing," Mace said.

Hoxie was evacuated to a hospital in Baghdad where he was stabilized, and then transported back to the United States for treatment. At Walter Reed, he underwent a grueling series of surgeries, and had to make the agonizing decision to have his left hand amputated in order to be fitted with a prosthetic. Then the real hard work began - re-learning how to do everyday tasks with two artificial limbs.

"It was like going back to being an 18-month-old again," Hoxie said.

Previously simple tasks like tying shoe laces or using a knife and fork took on new dimensions of difficulty.

"It's times like that where it can be a little annoying," Hoxie said with typical understatement.

Through it all, Hoxie never got discouraged, and never stopped thinking of himself as a member of the Airborne Infantry. He kept in regular contact with his unit, and focused on the goal of recovering from his injuries and returning as soon as possible to regular duty.

"You've got two choices. You can either lay down and quit, or you can stand up and fight through your problems and overcome them," he said.

In April, Hoxie was able to walk upright with the use of canes, and he expects to be able to walk without any support in a few weeks.

Throughout his struggle, Hoxie's never-say-die attitude has been an inspiration for his fellow Paratroopers.

"He's just a great Soldier," Mace said.

The emotional highlight of Hoxie's return to Fort Bragg came on May 19, when he was awarded the Bronze Star by his brigade commander in front of his unit.

As sweet as that moment was, Hoxie has his eyes set on another milestone - he wants to be able to run with his unit during next year's All American Week division run.

"That's my goal for next year," he said.

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Memorial Day - Specialist Bill Maher

Posted By Blackfive

Ranger Up's Nick writes about SPC Bill Maher and why he is someone we should all know and remember this Memorial Day.

...At 9:00 formation, Bill was all smiles and grins again. “Sir, I’m gonna call my dad – I can’t believe I just did 6 miles at 7:45!!!” Bill had, with Bruening’s foot up his ass, managed to sprint in the last half mile with the rest of the platoon. Six months later, I walked into a room where Bill, Wilkerson, and Prince were talking to another Mortar Platoon. Apparently, their 11C compatriots had just completed a 5-miler at “Ranger Pace” and were very proud that their whole platoon had made it. All I heard was Bill saying, “Five fucking miles? That’s like a warm up for us – I’m still drinking my morning coffee at the five-mile mark. This is the Army man – not middle school cross country. You should call home – hey Mom! Guess what! Today I ran five miles! I also ate breakfast, took a dump, and breathed a couple of times!”...

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Here's my Memorial Day post from yesterday.

And, in the comments on my post, Deltabravo posts this video tribute that must be seen:

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Evan Pertile - A Future Soldier You Should Know

Posted By Blackfive

From Brenda comes this story about a young boy who is part of our military family.  From the Fort Leavenworth Lamp (story no longer active on the site):

Soldiers support boy in battle against cancer
By Tisha Johnson | Staff Writer
Published: Thursday, April 16, 2009 8:20 AM CDT

A kind act toward Soldiers by a woman in South Carolina has resulted in Soldiers from Fort Leavenworth and all over the world giving her son encouragement to fight brain cancer.

Two days before Thanksgiving 2008, a group of Soldiers eating at a restaurant in Colombia, S.C., were surprised when they discovered their lunch had been paid for.

Rachel Pertile tried to pay the bill anonymously, but was caught and thanked by the Soldiers before she could leave the restaurant. The day after Thanksgiving, Pertile's 5-year-old son, Evan, was diagnosed with brain cancer.

Evan, now 6 years old, has had two neurosurgeries, radiation and is now having chemotherapy. All of his treatments have been at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. In January, Pertile was on a flight making her way from Memphis back to her home in Colombia when she broke down in tears.

"It was the first time I had gone home since we had ,come to St. Jude's and we have three other boys and I really wanted to go home and spend some time there," Pertile said. "But I was really sad to leave Evan because he had just started losing his hair in chunks."

Sitting next to Pertile on the flight was Brenda Bowen, who works in Classroom Services at the Command and General Staff College. Bowen offered Pertile an ear and a shoulder, and when she found out Evan's affinity for "Army guys," she knew there was something she could do to help.

"She told me about her son and how he loves Soldiers, and I thought 'I bet I can get a few Soldiers to send him messages,'" Bowen said.

After the flight, Bowen contacted Col. Bob Burns, the director of the Center for Army Tactics at CGSC.

"We start getting faculty and the students to send notes to the boy," Burns said.

Evan has a page at caringbridge.org, a Web site for people to connect with loved ones and others during a critical illness.

"There were a significant number of messages that got posted," Burns said. "And then it kind of grows like these things do, and guys in Iraq start sending notes."

Then, Burns called his friend, Combined Arms Center Command Sgt. Maj. Philip Johndrow. Burns was Johndrow's squadron commander in Iraq.

Johndrow, in turn, contacted another friend, Command Sgt. Maj. Stephen Frennier from U.S. Army Recruiting Command. Johndrow told Frennier Evan's story and, less than a week after Bowen and Pertile met on the plane, a group of Memphis recruiters were taking Evan out to lunch.

Johndrow said he knew Evan would appreciate the visit from the Soldiers, but the Soldiers would get a lot out of the visit also.

"We go through hardships and we go through tough times and to see some of the things Evan is going through, makes some of the things we go through maybe not look as tough," Johndrow said. "To see him, how strong he is and how motivated he is to do what he does - it warms us and motivates us even more to do what we do."

What Evan began doing next surprised everyone. Pertile said Evan had been receiving messages on his Web page saying he needed to eat to be Army strong and that Army Rangers have to eat to be strong.

"He started eating - he had completely quit eating and he was like 'I gotta eat,'" Pertile said. "It was remarkable, it was just incredible, like this unseen force helping my child - the generosity of others."

In addition to the messages on the Web site, Evan has received his own set of ACUs, a beret and a certificate designating him as an honorary Soldier.

In February, Evan was at home in South Carolina and was able to make a visit to Fort Jackson as a guest of Brig. Gen. Bradley May, the commanding general. Evan was wearing his ACUs with patches provided by Johndrow and Burns. Burns had sent him his own colonel rank.

Evan is now back at St. Jude's in Memphis. He just completed his first of four cycles of chemo. Pertile said they expect to be in Memphis at least until the end of July.

Bowen is planning a trip to see Evan soon. She said she talks to his mother pretty much weekly.

"She believes Soldiers make a big difference in her son's recovery," Bowen said. "She thinks it was full circle, after buying those Soldiers lunch."

Pertile said she welcomes posts to her son's Web site http://caringbridge.org/visit/evanpertile. To register, enter an e-mail address and create a password.

"He keeps telling people he is Army strong," Pertile said. "He tells everybody."

Okay, people, you know what to do...

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Just Another Face in the Crowd - SGT Darron Mikeworth - Someone You Should Know

Posted By Blackfive

Submitted by reader dnice, Sergeant Darran Mikeworth is someone you should know.

Injured soldier gets new face — and anonymity
By Sharon Cohen, AP National Writer – Sat Apr 25, 7:37 pm ET
SAN ANTONIO – His first glimpse in the mirror was largely a blur.

Sgt. Darron Mikeworth had just come out of a drug-induced coma — his mind was still in a fog and he was so weak he could barely stand.

Three weeks before, in Iraq, a suicide bomber had raced up to the right side of his Humvee, igniting a barrel of explosives that tore into the machine gunner's face. He nearly died.

Mikeworth awoke in a hospital bed, thousands of miles away.

He was relieved he still had his arms and legs. He was thrilled, too, that his ears had survived the blast. But he had wounds he could not see, life-changing wounds. His wife, Dea, helped break the news: His face was in bad shape. His left eye was useless.

And there was more.

At first, Mikeworth was too groggy to absorb it all. He was caught up in hallucinations of basketball players shooting hoops in the hospital, of cars on the highway floating in air. He didn't know what was fantasy and what wasn't — until he shuffled into the physical therapy room and stood numbly before a full-length mirror.

"I just had to keep telling myself I'm NOT going to wake up out of this one," he says. "THIS is not a dream. THIS is real."

His head was one giant purple bruise, his eyelids were nearly swollen shut. His left eye had been removed (he'd given his OK from his hospital bed.) His eyelashes and most of his eyebrows were singed off; so, too, was his hair halfway back on his scalp. His nose was mostly gone, just a sliver of cartilage remaining; skeletal-like bones revealed his sinuses. His top right lip was curled into a snarl, making it impossible to close his mouth. His right jaw was torn. His bottom teeth, loosened by the blast, were wired together.

His face — every bone has been shattered — was splattered with pinkish third-degree burns.

"I could have just flipped out," he says, pausing to remember. "But I looked in the mirror and said, all right, there's no changing it. I just have to deal with it. This is me now."

Darron Mikeworth's face was his identity.

So, too, was his life as a soldier.

He was about to embark on a long journey to regain both.

Go to this AP article to see the trajectory of SGT Mikeworth's journey.

Ronald Katz, the philanthropist behind Operation Mend, is someone I'd like to shake hands with.

The Chicago Tribune has a photo slide show of what it takes to become just another face in the crowd.

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