Marine awarded Purple Heart in surprise ceremony

[thedrifter]

Marine awarded Purple Heart in surprise ceremony
WMC-TV, TN

MT. JULIET, Tenn. A Mt. Juliet Marine was awarded a Purple Heart in a surprise ceremony at his parents' home.

Marine Corporal Gene Leigh McCollum was honored yesterday for injuries suffered in a roadside blast in Iraq in September 2004.McCollum was 19 at the time. He sustained a broken back, loss of hearing in one ear, shrapnel wounds and second-degree burns to the face and hands.He didn't receive recognition initially because the extent of his injuries weren't known. Later, X-rays revealed his back was broken.Captain Sean Roche applied for the award for McCollum, saying Marines are typically too humble to apply themselves.His friends and family wanted the ceremony to be a surprise so they kept the news a secret until members of the 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment showed up at the house.

Ellie

[yellowwing]

Surprise ceremony honors Marine at home
Purple Heart recognizes Iraq war wounds

By COLBY SLEDGE
Staff Writer, The Tennessean (http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070203/COUNTY10/702030349)
Saturday, 02/03/07

MT. JULIET — Gene Leigh McCollum stepped out the door Friday morning to run errands, pay some bills and have a fairly normal day.

Less than five minutes later, he was a decorated war veteran.

In a surprise ceremony outside his parents' snow-covered house, Cpl. McCollum was awarded a Purple Heart for injuries he sustained while in Iraq.

Members of the 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, piled out of vans and lined up to honor McCollum, who walked slowly to the street with the aid of a cane.

"I had no idea," McCollum said. "It was incredible. I was totally caught off guard."

McCollum, then 19 years old, sustained a broken back, loss of hearing in his right ear, shrapnel wounds and second-degree burns to his face and hands when the Humvee he was riding in was hit by a roadside car bomb in September 2004.

"We were doing a vehicle-mounted patrol, and I was riding behind the machine gun," McCollum said. "The car was just sitting by the side of the road, and as soon as we went by it, it blew up."

Upon his return, McCollum didn't receive recognition because initially he didn't know the extent of his injuries. Upon returning from Iraq, he complained that his back constantly hurt, but doctors said he was having muscle spasms.

After a flag football game in December with fellow members of the I Company reserve unit, McCollum discovered he couldn't get up. X-rays revealed his back was broken.

"The doctor said it's been like that for a while because there was a lot of scar tissue," he said.

"He could tell it was hurting me pretty bad."

Still, McCollum didn't seek the award, typically given to soldiers injured in battle.

When Capt. Sean Roche learned McCollum hadn't applied, he took it upon himself.

"Marines aren't going to ask for things like that," Capt. Sean Roche said.

"But once I found out, it became priority number one to get his certificate presented to him in an official fashion."

Ceremony kept secret

Since McCollum was at home recovering from surgery, the official presentation came to him Friday. His parents worked with Capt. Roche and the other members of his company to keep the presentation a secret.

"To pull one over on him — it's hard, because he gets that sense that something's going on," said Debra Spradlin, McCollum's mother. Spradlin said she had to sneak groceries into the house to feed the soldiers.

Gene McCollum, Leigh's father, said he had to play sick to get off work, although his boss was at the ceremony. Gene, a former Marine himself, said Leigh wanted to follow in his footsteps since he was "knee-high."

"He painted his room in Marine Corps colors," Gene said.

That period of Leigh's life, however, is coming to a close. Now 22, he knows his four-year commitment is up in May, and he says he won't re-enlist.

He's looking to enter school, he said, although he's not sure what he wants to study.

"I think I just want to do my time and get out and get on with my life," he said.

"I want to try to enjoy life now."

[thedrifter]

moved post by request..

Ellie

[ellezoo]

Marine awarded Purple Heart in surprise ceremony
WMC-TV, TN

MT. JULIET, Tenn. A Mt. Juliet Marine was awarded a Purple Heart in a surprise ceremony at his parents' home.

Marine Corporal Gene Leigh McCollum was honored yesterday for injuries suffered in a roadside blast in Iraq in September 2004.McCollum was 19 at the time. He sustained a broken back, loss of hearing in one ear, shrapnel wounds and second-degree burns to the face and hands.He didn't receive recognition initially because the extent of his injuries weren't known. Later, X-rays revealed his back was broken.Captain Sean Roche applied for the award for McCollum, saying Marines are typically too humble to apply themselves.His friends and family wanted the ceremony to be a surprise so they kept the news a secret until members of the 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment showed up at the house.

Ellie


What a wonderful surprise to find this Story posted HERE!... Hard to express how much I appreciate that... being the MOM of this Marine.. it has been a long journey....

Capt Roche and 1st Sgt Bass... to include all of the 3rd Btl 24th Marine Regiment THANK YOU for caring enough ....

I found this site.. due to the Marines posting to the Tennessean Newspaper Article .. yellowwing has a link on his profile to this site...guess I stalked him here...lol....

Again... Thank you ellie.............

elle

[rb1651]

ellezoo, Welcome aboard, Ma'am. I would like to take the opportunity to Thank You and your family for your service and sacrifices to our Country and Corps. You're more than welcome to come back as often as you like. Your one of the "Family" now! :marine:

And 'wing, best check your six, there's someone behind you!!!! :scared: :banana: LOL

[yellowwing]

What a wonderful surprise to find this Story posted HERE!... Hard to express how much I appreciate that... being the MOM of this Marine.. it has been a long journey....

Capt Roche and 1st Sgt Bass... to include all of the 3rd Btl 24th Marine Regiment THANK YOU for caring enough ....

I found this site.. due to the Marines posting to the Tennessean Newspaper Article .. yellowwing has a link on his profile to this site...guess I stalked him here...lol....

Again... Thank you ellie.............

elle
I used to live in Nashville around the Antioch area. I still have family down your way.


"Now go find a nice gal, settle down and start on the next generation of Marines"
Did your son get that part of the message? :D

[ellezoo]

ellezoo, Welcome aboard, Ma'am. I would like to take the opportunity to Thank You and your family for your service and sacrifices to our Country and Corps. You're more than welcome to come back as often as you like. Your one of the "Family" now! :marine:

And 'wing, best check your six, there's someone behind you!!!! LOL

Thank YOU... rb... for the warm welcome.. and also thank you for your service also.......... I've enjoyed rummaging around on the boards this morning..and also have passed the link onto some other "family" members... There's a group of us "Marine Moms" that are considered BAMM's lol... let me know if you need me to decipher.;)... OH and we have the tattoo to prove it too... :angel:

elle

[ellezoo]

I used to live in Nashville around the Antioch area. I still have family down your way.


"Now go find a nice gal, settle down and start on the next generation of Marines"Did your son get that part of the message? :D

Well we were practically neighbors...AND yes he did see that... matter of fact the young lady in the picture with me.. that was posted in the Newspaper Article.. is his girl.... and there would be NO objection to them working on that....;)