marinefamily5
03-06-06, 03:25 PM
WASHINGTON, March 6, 2006 - Cpl. Jordan S. Pierson, 22, is an
unquestionably loyal and determined Marine. Despite the loss of his left leg
due to combat injuries sustained in Iraq Dec. 7, Pierson is set upon
returning to active duty.
"I just re-enlisted on Jan. 7. I'm ready to get back to the fleet and
start working," Pierson told American Forces Press Service during a
recent National Guard Youth Foundation-sponsored dinner here.
Pierson has served three tours of duty in Iraq. During his most recent
deployment there, his convoy was returning from an operation near
Ramadi when it was attacked with two roadside bombs. The second explosion
mangled both of Pierson's legs, killed a comrade and severely wounded
several other Marines.
Pierson's left leg was so damaged it had to be amputated in Iraq. His
Iraq tour with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine
Division, had ended. The stricken Marine was sent stateside -- first to the
National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., for about a month and
then to Walter Reed Army Medical Center here -- to heal.
President Bush and first lady Laura Bush visited Pierson during his
stay at Bethesda shortly before Christmas. The president presented the
Marine with the Purple Heart Medal, as Pierson's mother, Candace, and his
fiancee, Kirstin, watched.
Pierson first served in Iraq during the invasion in March 2003 and
departed in September of that year. He returned in February 2004 for
another tour of duty that ended in September 2004. He returned to Iraq in
September 2005 for his most recent tour.
Some might think that experiencing three dangerous tours in Iraq and
the loss of a leg would be enough to put a person into a permanent funk.
Not Pierson, who these days gets about on a prosthetic leg. "I'm moving
around -- with a cane right now, but I'm moving around," the Sturgis,
Mich., native said.
"He's coming around really fast, a lot faster than they'd expected,"
said Pierson's mother, Candace, who attended the National Guard dinner
with her son.
Candace, who lives in Florida, couldn't help beaming every time she
looked at her son in his crisp Marine dress uniform. "I don't even have
words to say how proud I am of him," she said.
Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau,
Pierson's escort and a guest speaker at the dinner, also had good things to
say about Pierson, who joined Youth Challenge, a National Guard youth
achievement program, to get his general equivalency diploma before he
enlisted in the Marines shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks on the United States.
"I think he's a national treasure," Blum said of Pierson. "You talk
about the 'greatest generation' and you usually think of World War II. I'm
not so sure you're not looking at the greatest generation in Jordan
Pierson."
Pierson plans to teach Marines about his hard-earned combat lessons
gained during his deployments to Iraq.
"I got three tours' (worth of) experience," Pierson said, "I can
prepare other Marines to get them ready to go back. That's what I'm going to
do.
"If I get to one person, I may be able to save their life," he said.
unquestionably loyal and determined Marine. Despite the loss of his left leg
due to combat injuries sustained in Iraq Dec. 7, Pierson is set upon
returning to active duty.
"I just re-enlisted on Jan. 7. I'm ready to get back to the fleet and
start working," Pierson told American Forces Press Service during a
recent National Guard Youth Foundation-sponsored dinner here.
Pierson has served three tours of duty in Iraq. During his most recent
deployment there, his convoy was returning from an operation near
Ramadi when it was attacked with two roadside bombs. The second explosion
mangled both of Pierson's legs, killed a comrade and severely wounded
several other Marines.
Pierson's left leg was so damaged it had to be amputated in Iraq. His
Iraq tour with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine
Division, had ended. The stricken Marine was sent stateside -- first to the
National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., for about a month and
then to Walter Reed Army Medical Center here -- to heal.
President Bush and first lady Laura Bush visited Pierson during his
stay at Bethesda shortly before Christmas. The president presented the
Marine with the Purple Heart Medal, as Pierson's mother, Candace, and his
fiancee, Kirstin, watched.
Pierson first served in Iraq during the invasion in March 2003 and
departed in September of that year. He returned in February 2004 for
another tour of duty that ended in September 2004. He returned to Iraq in
September 2005 for his most recent tour.
Some might think that experiencing three dangerous tours in Iraq and
the loss of a leg would be enough to put a person into a permanent funk.
Not Pierson, who these days gets about on a prosthetic leg. "I'm moving
around -- with a cane right now, but I'm moving around," the Sturgis,
Mich., native said.
"He's coming around really fast, a lot faster than they'd expected,"
said Pierson's mother, Candace, who attended the National Guard dinner
with her son.
Candace, who lives in Florida, couldn't help beaming every time she
looked at her son in his crisp Marine dress uniform. "I don't even have
words to say how proud I am of him," she said.
Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau,
Pierson's escort and a guest speaker at the dinner, also had good things to
say about Pierson, who joined Youth Challenge, a National Guard youth
achievement program, to get his general equivalency diploma before he
enlisted in the Marines shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks on the United States.
"I think he's a national treasure," Blum said of Pierson. "You talk
about the 'greatest generation' and you usually think of World War II. I'm
not so sure you're not looking at the greatest generation in Jordan
Pierson."
Pierson plans to teach Marines about his hard-earned combat lessons
gained during his deployments to Iraq.
"I got three tours' (worth of) experience," Pierson said, "I can
prepare other Marines to get them ready to go back. That's what I'm going to
do.
"If I get to one person, I may be able to save their life," he said.