thedrifter
08-19-03, 09:54 AM
Wound had to wait on battle
August 19,2003
TIMMI TOLER
DAILY NEWS STAFF
It was March 23, and Cpl John Wetzel was transporting wounded American troops out of an Iraqi quagmire known as An Nasiriyah. They were traveling south to join the rest of his battalion when the amphibious assault vehicle Wetzel was driving was ambushed by Iraqi soldiers.
Five pieces of shrapnel zipped through the AAV - three of those pieces stopped in Wetzel's right shoulder.
"I realized I had been wounded and I wanted to know how bad it was," said Wetzel, a 23-year-old squad leader with Task Force Tarawa from Austin, Texas. "Once I realized I had movement in my shoulder, I pretty much blew it off."
Wetzel had no choice, the battle lasted another six hours. His squadron was shelled for three days.
Wetzel was one of 15 Marines with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines awarded the Purple Heart on Monday in a ceremony at Camp Lejeune. Part of the Task Force Tarawa group, the Marines were given the awards for wounds received in action, specifically the Battle of An Nasiriyah. The battle began with the seizure of the eastern Euphrates River and the Saddam Canal Bridge, which were needed to support 1st Marine Division's rapid advance toward Baghdad.
Wetzel had been in-country for three days when the ambush occurred. It would be three more days before he received the proper medical attention.
"That's why it scarred so bad. I didn't get to sew it shut," said Wetzel, who used disinfectant to treat his wound until it could be examined. "It wasn't that big of a deal we were there to hold the bridges, and we did."
Maj. Gen. Stephen T. Johnson, commanding general of 2nd Marine Division, presented the Purple Hearts to the Marines.
"It's an honor and a privilege to be here among you, but I'm also painfully aware of other members of our group that won't have the benefit of a handshake or a hug after this ceremony because their awards were given to them posthumously," said Johnson. "I ask you to keep their families in your prayers."
Eighteen Lejeune Marines were killed during the battle of an Nasiriyah. Wetzel said those losses are now hitting home.
"A lot of them were my good friends - we trained together for a long time, but you had to forget about it for a while," he said. "It takes a lot of discipline to focus and do what you've got to do, and we did a great job of that. Unfortunately, some people had to pay the ultimate sacrifice for it. So you're kind of dealing with things when you come back because everything's comfortable and your life is back to normal."
During Monday's ceremony, Wetzel, Cpl. Huncliff Nitchew, Lance Cpl. Jordan Fitzgerald, Lance Cpl. Jarod Martin and Pfc. David Matteson were awarded the Purple Heart and Purple Heart certificate. 1st Lt. James Reid, Sgt. Jose Torres, Cpl. James Carl, Cpl. Manuel Espinozagarcia, Cpl. Albert Hastings II, Cpl. Matthew Juska, Lance Cpl. Brad Seegert and Pvt. Jason Keough were awarded the Purple Heart, and Cpl. Micheal Meed was awarded the Purple Heart certificate.
Second Lt. Michael Seely was awarded the Purple Heart for the second time during his Marine Corps career. Six additional Marines were also given the Purple Heart but were unable to attend the ceremony due to convalescent leave. The names of those Marines were not available Monday.
Johnson said the Purple Heart, ranked immediately behind the Bronze Star in order of precedence among personal decorations, is a unique award since it is the oldest U.S. military decoration still in use and is the most recognizable.
"People recognize the Purple Heart. They recognize the wearer as someone special," he said. "But not only is the award unique, but so are the people receiving it. No Marine sets out to earn it. They set out to do their duty, to put themselves in harm's way as they remain dedicated and committed to the task at hand."
For Wetzel, that task seems to have changed him forever.
"The battle was something I never thought I would be in. It was intense artillery coming from the sky, troops on the ground shooting bullets - rockets - every other second your rib cage was being rattled," he said. "It makes you appreciate every day it makes you want to go out and do everything you've ever wanted to do. It's motivating. It will motivate you for the rest of your life."
http://www.jdnews.com/Photo/081903_purple2.jpg
Commending the troops: Maj. Gen. Stephen T. Johnson, commander of the 2nd Marine Division, talks with Marines of the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, at Camp Lejeune on Monday following the awarding of Purple Hearts.
http://www.jdnews.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=Details.cfm&StoryID=15116&Section=Headline
Sempers,
Roger
:marine:
August 19,2003
TIMMI TOLER
DAILY NEWS STAFF
It was March 23, and Cpl John Wetzel was transporting wounded American troops out of an Iraqi quagmire known as An Nasiriyah. They were traveling south to join the rest of his battalion when the amphibious assault vehicle Wetzel was driving was ambushed by Iraqi soldiers.
Five pieces of shrapnel zipped through the AAV - three of those pieces stopped in Wetzel's right shoulder.
"I realized I had been wounded and I wanted to know how bad it was," said Wetzel, a 23-year-old squad leader with Task Force Tarawa from Austin, Texas. "Once I realized I had movement in my shoulder, I pretty much blew it off."
Wetzel had no choice, the battle lasted another six hours. His squadron was shelled for three days.
Wetzel was one of 15 Marines with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines awarded the Purple Heart on Monday in a ceremony at Camp Lejeune. Part of the Task Force Tarawa group, the Marines were given the awards for wounds received in action, specifically the Battle of An Nasiriyah. The battle began with the seizure of the eastern Euphrates River and the Saddam Canal Bridge, which were needed to support 1st Marine Division's rapid advance toward Baghdad.
Wetzel had been in-country for three days when the ambush occurred. It would be three more days before he received the proper medical attention.
"That's why it scarred so bad. I didn't get to sew it shut," said Wetzel, who used disinfectant to treat his wound until it could be examined. "It wasn't that big of a deal we were there to hold the bridges, and we did."
Maj. Gen. Stephen T. Johnson, commanding general of 2nd Marine Division, presented the Purple Hearts to the Marines.
"It's an honor and a privilege to be here among you, but I'm also painfully aware of other members of our group that won't have the benefit of a handshake or a hug after this ceremony because their awards were given to them posthumously," said Johnson. "I ask you to keep their families in your prayers."
Eighteen Lejeune Marines were killed during the battle of an Nasiriyah. Wetzel said those losses are now hitting home.
"A lot of them were my good friends - we trained together for a long time, but you had to forget about it for a while," he said. "It takes a lot of discipline to focus and do what you've got to do, and we did a great job of that. Unfortunately, some people had to pay the ultimate sacrifice for it. So you're kind of dealing with things when you come back because everything's comfortable and your life is back to normal."
During Monday's ceremony, Wetzel, Cpl. Huncliff Nitchew, Lance Cpl. Jordan Fitzgerald, Lance Cpl. Jarod Martin and Pfc. David Matteson were awarded the Purple Heart and Purple Heart certificate. 1st Lt. James Reid, Sgt. Jose Torres, Cpl. James Carl, Cpl. Manuel Espinozagarcia, Cpl. Albert Hastings II, Cpl. Matthew Juska, Lance Cpl. Brad Seegert and Pvt. Jason Keough were awarded the Purple Heart, and Cpl. Micheal Meed was awarded the Purple Heart certificate.
Second Lt. Michael Seely was awarded the Purple Heart for the second time during his Marine Corps career. Six additional Marines were also given the Purple Heart but were unable to attend the ceremony due to convalescent leave. The names of those Marines were not available Monday.
Johnson said the Purple Heart, ranked immediately behind the Bronze Star in order of precedence among personal decorations, is a unique award since it is the oldest U.S. military decoration still in use and is the most recognizable.
"People recognize the Purple Heart. They recognize the wearer as someone special," he said. "But not only is the award unique, but so are the people receiving it. No Marine sets out to earn it. They set out to do their duty, to put themselves in harm's way as they remain dedicated and committed to the task at hand."
For Wetzel, that task seems to have changed him forever.
"The battle was something I never thought I would be in. It was intense artillery coming from the sky, troops on the ground shooting bullets - rockets - every other second your rib cage was being rattled," he said. "It makes you appreciate every day it makes you want to go out and do everything you've ever wanted to do. It's motivating. It will motivate you for the rest of your life."
http://www.jdnews.com/Photo/081903_purple2.jpg
Commending the troops: Maj. Gen. Stephen T. Johnson, commander of the 2nd Marine Division, talks with Marines of the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, at Camp Lejeune on Monday following the awarding of Purple Hearts.
http://www.jdnews.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=Details.cfm&StoryID=15116&Section=Headline
Sempers,
Roger
:marine: