thedrifter
04-19-07, 08:36 AM
Posted April 19, 2007
Local Marine appears on Oprah
By Troy Laack
Sheboygan Press staff
Marine Cpl. Harley Herron of Sheboygan, who received a Purple Heart after being wounded by a roadside bomb in Anah, Iraq, recently appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show along with other members of his unit.
"It was kind of nerve-racking, I guess, especially when she asks questions and everybody's staring at you," said Herron, 21. "I was excited and nervous just because my parents came down and I got to see my buddies come back."
Herron was on Oprah on April 4 because the rest of his unit had returned to the United States.
Herron received a Purple Heart Feb. 13 at Camp Lejeune, N.C., at the wounded warrior barracks where about 90 Marines are recovering from injuries, he said.
Laurie Walter of Sheboygan, Herron's mother, said she's proud of her son.
"We talk about it every day," Walter said. "He knows it every day."
Herron, a gunner assigned to the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion in Anah, a village in the Anbar Province in Iraq, was wounded the night of Nov. 25, when a roadside bomb exploded from about a foot away.
Herron was on foot patrol with a group of 10 Marines when the bomb exploded injuring him and another soldier, he said. A corpsman on the scene was able to stabilize Herron, which saved his left leg.
Shrapnel hit Herron's lower left calf and a major artery causing excessive bleeding, he said. He also suffered shrapnel wounds to his back, shoulder and left arm.
"I've got permanent nerve damage to my leg and I've got permanent swelling," Herron said. "I've got scars and stuff all over my arm and back. I've got scars all over my leg."
Herron left Camp Lejeune briefly to appear on Oprah, Walter said.
"It was a live show," Walter said. "He found out the day before and they flew him to the Oprah show in Chicago."
Walter and her husband, Doug Walter, drove to Chicago to see her son and the show.
"She had like a surprise homecoming," Walter said. "His group came back to the States … and the Oprah show flew them to Chicago, so they all kind of reunited on stage there and she flew their families there. It was kind of a neat thing."
Winfrey held Herron's Purple Heart while she interviewed him, Herron said.
"She asked me how do I feel about my Marines being back and I told her it's good that they're back," Herron said. "They're like brothers. We watch over each other. I'm just glad that they're back all in one piece."
One member of his unit, Sgt. Chad Allen, of Maple Lake, Minn., was killed during his tour of duty in Iraq, Herron said.
Herron is able to move around now without the aid of crutches.
"I don't need crutches," Herron said. "I just kind of limp around."
Herron did some recuperation at St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan from December through March before returning to Camp Lejeune.
"I just wanted to thank everybody for supporting me, St. Nick's Hospital for putting up with me for three months of therapy," Herron said.
Herron hopes to return to Sheboygan soon.
"Either I'm going to get medically retired or I'm going to get out in September," Herron said. "I just got to keep going to therapy and get stronger and we'll see where it goes from there."
Reach Troy Laack at tlaack@sheboygan-press.com and 453-5133.
Ellie
Local Marine appears on Oprah
By Troy Laack
Sheboygan Press staff
Marine Cpl. Harley Herron of Sheboygan, who received a Purple Heart after being wounded by a roadside bomb in Anah, Iraq, recently appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show along with other members of his unit.
"It was kind of nerve-racking, I guess, especially when she asks questions and everybody's staring at you," said Herron, 21. "I was excited and nervous just because my parents came down and I got to see my buddies come back."
Herron was on Oprah on April 4 because the rest of his unit had returned to the United States.
Herron received a Purple Heart Feb. 13 at Camp Lejeune, N.C., at the wounded warrior barracks where about 90 Marines are recovering from injuries, he said.
Laurie Walter of Sheboygan, Herron's mother, said she's proud of her son.
"We talk about it every day," Walter said. "He knows it every day."
Herron, a gunner assigned to the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion in Anah, a village in the Anbar Province in Iraq, was wounded the night of Nov. 25, when a roadside bomb exploded from about a foot away.
Herron was on foot patrol with a group of 10 Marines when the bomb exploded injuring him and another soldier, he said. A corpsman on the scene was able to stabilize Herron, which saved his left leg.
Shrapnel hit Herron's lower left calf and a major artery causing excessive bleeding, he said. He also suffered shrapnel wounds to his back, shoulder and left arm.
"I've got permanent nerve damage to my leg and I've got permanent swelling," Herron said. "I've got scars and stuff all over my arm and back. I've got scars all over my leg."
Herron left Camp Lejeune briefly to appear on Oprah, Walter said.
"It was a live show," Walter said. "He found out the day before and they flew him to the Oprah show in Chicago."
Walter and her husband, Doug Walter, drove to Chicago to see her son and the show.
"She had like a surprise homecoming," Walter said. "His group came back to the States … and the Oprah show flew them to Chicago, so they all kind of reunited on stage there and she flew their families there. It was kind of a neat thing."
Winfrey held Herron's Purple Heart while she interviewed him, Herron said.
"She asked me how do I feel about my Marines being back and I told her it's good that they're back," Herron said. "They're like brothers. We watch over each other. I'm just glad that they're back all in one piece."
One member of his unit, Sgt. Chad Allen, of Maple Lake, Minn., was killed during his tour of duty in Iraq, Herron said.
Herron is able to move around now without the aid of crutches.
"I don't need crutches," Herron said. "I just kind of limp around."
Herron did some recuperation at St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan from December through March before returning to Camp Lejeune.
"I just wanted to thank everybody for supporting me, St. Nick's Hospital for putting up with me for three months of therapy," Herron said.
Herron hopes to return to Sheboygan soon.
"Either I'm going to get medically retired or I'm going to get out in September," Herron said. "I just got to keep going to therapy and get stronger and we'll see where it goes from there."
Reach Troy Laack at tlaack@sheboygan-press.com and 453-5133.
Ellie