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thedrifter
02-13-08, 06:01 AM
Tyler Wing Reports
Tucson honors local war hero

Posted: Feb 12, 2008 08:33 PM

Javier Alvarez, 27, saved the lives of four Marines in Iraq, clearing a grenade that landed next to them. He lost his right hand in the process.

Tuesday night, Alvarez will be honored by Tucson's American Legion Post 409 for his heroic deed.

The Pima Community College student says he joined up with the Marines just prior to 911. "My unit was actually the first one that went into Iraq."

It wasn't until his third tour of duty near a farmhouse in Eastern Iraq that Alvarez sustained his injuries. "As I was moving up to the house I got shot several times in the legs."

Despite taking rounds, Alvarez says he kept pushing towards the house. That's when an insurgent threw a grenade that landed next to him and four other Marines. "I picked it up, threw it away, and it blew my hand off."

He says the nearest triage was more than an hour's helicopter flight away. "I know at least four of us would have been dead.

Alvarez came back to the States and was eventually fitted with a prosthetic arm. He says humor, perspective and family have helped him deal with the loss of his right hand. But, he says, it hasn't been easy. "I was right handed, so just writing my name took minutes. It was horrible. Tying my shoes, buckling my pants, buttoning my shirt. Even today it's still difficult."

The California native is taking classes at Pima Community College. "This semester I'll be applying to some universities for architecture."

Alvarez says he's honored to be recognized by the American Legion. "Even though this is a disability, you can't give up. You got to continue fighting."

Ellie