thedrifter
09-11-09, 08:35 AM
September 11, 2009
Injured Fort Collins Marine comes home as example of heroism
BY SARA B. HANSEN
SaraHansen@coloradoan.com
U.S. Marine Jesse Cottle never lost consciousness when he stepped on an improvised explosive device during a patrol in the Afghan desert.
The July 19 blast threw him through the air, battering his legs and shattering his ear drums.
"It was so intense. My whole body was numb from the blast," Cottle said Thursday during an interview at the Embassy Suites in Loveland.
"I knew I'd definitely lost the left leg and maybe the right. I knew I needed to just accept it and not freak out and panic."
He pulled out his tourniquet and tried to put it on his left leg, but his hands were shaking too badly.
At that moment, his squad leader came through the dust and quickly put his own tourniquet on Cottle's left leg. Then he used Cottle's on the right. At the same time, another member of the team arrived with a stretcher.
As his squad mates carried him, Cottle, 24, began to feel pressure pain from the tourniquets. Rather than focus on his own pain, he saw how hard his team members were working to quickly evacuate him and decided to cheer them on instead.
"Thank the Lord no one else was hurt," he said.
Cottle was quickly shuttled from the area first by truck and then by helicopter. Once he arrived at a field hospital, he had the first of six surgeries that ultimately ended with both legs being amputated above the knee. He had two operations in Iraq, one in Germany and three at the naval hospital in Bethesda, Md., all six within two weeks of his injury.
After the final surgery, he was transferred to San Diego to begin physical and occupational therapy. He's taking a one-week break and returned to Northern Colorado to attend his aunt's wedding.
Cottle, who was born and raised in Fort Collins, attended Shepardson Elementary and Lesher Junior High and is a 2003 Fort Collins High School graduate.
His family moved to Phoenix in fall 2006, where his dad, Dave, works as the executive director for planned development and construction for Phoenix Children's Hospital. His mom, Peggy, a former nurse, has been able to stay with Cottle since he returned to the United States four days after he was injured. His dad and brother, Matthew, have been using donated frequent flier miles to join Cottle on weekends first in Maryland and now in California.
Cottle decided to join the Marines after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks but had to wait two years so he'd be old enough to enlist. He served three tours in Iraq and when he re-enlisted he attended explosive ordinance school in Florida before shipping off to Okinawa, Japan. He then was shipped to Afghanistan where he worked on an explosive ordnance team.
The area where he was injured had been swept with metal detectors, but the Taliban now creates explosive devices that don't have metal.
After his break, Cottle will return to San Diego to be fitted for prosthetics and then will spend eight to 12 months of additional therapy before he's medically retired from the Marines.
He plans to stay in the San Diego area and first attend community college before going on to a university. He's not sure yet what he'll study or ultimately what he'll do. He may re-enlist with the Marines or join the Navy.
"I need to figure out what I'll enjoy doing for the rest of my life."
Additional Facts
Jesse Cottle reception
The public is invited to attend a Sunday reception for Jesse Cottle, a Fort Collins High School graduate who lost both legs after stepping on an undetected improvised explosive device in Afghanistan. Cottle's mother, Peggy, said the reception is a chance for the family to say thank you to the community for all its love and support since Cottle was injured July 19. The reception will be from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the conference center at Embassy Suites, 4705 Clydesdale Parkway, in Loveland.
Ellie
Injured Fort Collins Marine comes home as example of heroism
BY SARA B. HANSEN
SaraHansen@coloradoan.com
U.S. Marine Jesse Cottle never lost consciousness when he stepped on an improvised explosive device during a patrol in the Afghan desert.
The July 19 blast threw him through the air, battering his legs and shattering his ear drums.
"It was so intense. My whole body was numb from the blast," Cottle said Thursday during an interview at the Embassy Suites in Loveland.
"I knew I'd definitely lost the left leg and maybe the right. I knew I needed to just accept it and not freak out and panic."
He pulled out his tourniquet and tried to put it on his left leg, but his hands were shaking too badly.
At that moment, his squad leader came through the dust and quickly put his own tourniquet on Cottle's left leg. Then he used Cottle's on the right. At the same time, another member of the team arrived with a stretcher.
As his squad mates carried him, Cottle, 24, began to feel pressure pain from the tourniquets. Rather than focus on his own pain, he saw how hard his team members were working to quickly evacuate him and decided to cheer them on instead.
"Thank the Lord no one else was hurt," he said.
Cottle was quickly shuttled from the area first by truck and then by helicopter. Once he arrived at a field hospital, he had the first of six surgeries that ultimately ended with both legs being amputated above the knee. He had two operations in Iraq, one in Germany and three at the naval hospital in Bethesda, Md., all six within two weeks of his injury.
After the final surgery, he was transferred to San Diego to begin physical and occupational therapy. He's taking a one-week break and returned to Northern Colorado to attend his aunt's wedding.
Cottle, who was born and raised in Fort Collins, attended Shepardson Elementary and Lesher Junior High and is a 2003 Fort Collins High School graduate.
His family moved to Phoenix in fall 2006, where his dad, Dave, works as the executive director for planned development and construction for Phoenix Children's Hospital. His mom, Peggy, a former nurse, has been able to stay with Cottle since he returned to the United States four days after he was injured. His dad and brother, Matthew, have been using donated frequent flier miles to join Cottle on weekends first in Maryland and now in California.
Cottle decided to join the Marines after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks but had to wait two years so he'd be old enough to enlist. He served three tours in Iraq and when he re-enlisted he attended explosive ordinance school in Florida before shipping off to Okinawa, Japan. He then was shipped to Afghanistan where he worked on an explosive ordnance team.
The area where he was injured had been swept with metal detectors, but the Taliban now creates explosive devices that don't have metal.
After his break, Cottle will return to San Diego to be fitted for prosthetics and then will spend eight to 12 months of additional therapy before he's medically retired from the Marines.
He plans to stay in the San Diego area and first attend community college before going on to a university. He's not sure yet what he'll study or ultimately what he'll do. He may re-enlist with the Marines or join the Navy.
"I need to figure out what I'll enjoy doing for the rest of my life."
Additional Facts
Jesse Cottle reception
The public is invited to attend a Sunday reception for Jesse Cottle, a Fort Collins High School graduate who lost both legs after stepping on an undetected improvised explosive device in Afghanistan. Cottle's mother, Peggy, said the reception is a chance for the family to say thank you to the community for all its love and support since Cottle was injured July 19. The reception will be from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the conference center at Embassy Suites, 4705 Clydesdale Parkway, in Loveland.
Ellie