thedrifter
06-07-07, 06:54 AM
Purple Heart winner: 'We are in awe of him'
By TUCKER McQUEEN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/07/07
Marine Lance Cpl. Scott MacKenzie of Cherokee County wanted to make his mother proud after receiving a Purple Heart for injuries in Iraq.
"She is my true inspiration because she dedicates everything she has to the children she takes care of," MacKenzie said.
His mother is a special education paraprofessional at Sequoyah High School in Canton.
Nan MacKenzie said she and husband Robert and 10-year-old daughter Savannah couldn't make it to their son's Purple Heart ceremony May 10 at Camp Lejeune, N.C. The trip was beyond their budget.
MacKenzie thought if his mom could just see a picture of him with the award, that would help. She said a picture wasn't necessary — she and her husband were already proud. "I told him that he has done more in his 21 years than his dad and I have in a lifetime," Nan MacKenzie said. "We couldn't be more proud of him."
His mom was with him last week when he had surgery to repair damage from a fractured jaw. The Injured Marine Semper Fi fund, an organization that gives financial help to wounded Marines and their families, paid her traveling expenses. MacKenzie said her son's surgery was a success and she hopes he can regain the more than 30 pounds he has lost.
Scott MacKenzie was on foot patrol Oct. 29 when his unit was hit by two improvised explosive devices. The Marine next to him lost both his legs. MacKenzie fractured his jaw, took shrapnel in his left arm and face, and had a head injury.
He spent several months in a hospital in Iraq before coming home. He is currently attached to the Wounded Warrior Barracks at Camp Lejeune, where he works at the naval hospital helping injured Marines.
His mother said after her son graduated from Sequoyah High in 2004, he drifted for a while, and she rode him hard. A year after he graduated, he joined the military.
"The Marines brought out the best in him," she said. "He has transformed in front of our eyes. We are in awe of him and what he has done."
After his tour ends in two years, Scott MacKenzie said, he might stay in the Marines. He would also like to get a college degree in psychology.
"I would like to become someone who God, my family and friends can look up to and know will always be there for them," he said.
Ellie
By TUCKER McQUEEN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/07/07
Marine Lance Cpl. Scott MacKenzie of Cherokee County wanted to make his mother proud after receiving a Purple Heart for injuries in Iraq.
"She is my true inspiration because she dedicates everything she has to the children she takes care of," MacKenzie said.
His mother is a special education paraprofessional at Sequoyah High School in Canton.
Nan MacKenzie said she and husband Robert and 10-year-old daughter Savannah couldn't make it to their son's Purple Heart ceremony May 10 at Camp Lejeune, N.C. The trip was beyond their budget.
MacKenzie thought if his mom could just see a picture of him with the award, that would help. She said a picture wasn't necessary — she and her husband were already proud. "I told him that he has done more in his 21 years than his dad and I have in a lifetime," Nan MacKenzie said. "We couldn't be more proud of him."
His mom was with him last week when he had surgery to repair damage from a fractured jaw. The Injured Marine Semper Fi fund, an organization that gives financial help to wounded Marines and their families, paid her traveling expenses. MacKenzie said her son's surgery was a success and she hopes he can regain the more than 30 pounds he has lost.
Scott MacKenzie was on foot patrol Oct. 29 when his unit was hit by two improvised explosive devices. The Marine next to him lost both his legs. MacKenzie fractured his jaw, took shrapnel in his left arm and face, and had a head injury.
He spent several months in a hospital in Iraq before coming home. He is currently attached to the Wounded Warrior Barracks at Camp Lejeune, where he works at the naval hospital helping injured Marines.
His mother said after her son graduated from Sequoyah High in 2004, he drifted for a while, and she rode him hard. A year after he graduated, he joined the military.
"The Marines brought out the best in him," she said. "He has transformed in front of our eyes. We are in awe of him and what he has done."
After his tour ends in two years, Scott MacKenzie said, he might stay in the Marines. He would also like to get a college degree in psychology.
"I would like to become someone who God, my family and friends can look up to and know will always be there for them," he said.
Ellie