thedrifter
10-17-06, 12:36 PM
October 23, 2006
Reel recovery
Fishing trip gives wounded Marines deep-sea therapy
By Trista Talton
Staff writer
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — Reeling in fish from the depths of the crystal-blue Atlantic Ocean was tough on Lance Cpl. Kenneth Ward’s arm.
His left knee and arm are still tender from shrapnel from a rocket-propelled grenade attack on members of his unit, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, the night of June 29 in Ramadi, Iraq. Ward’s short-term memory loss is getting better, but his brain injury continues to cause problems, including migraines.
But that didn’t stop him from fighting through the discomfort on a sunny mid-September day 15 miles off the North Carolina coast.
The 20-year-old Madisonville, Ky., native was one of about 30 Marines from the Wounded Warrior Barracks at Camp Lejeune who were treated to a deep-sea fishing trip Sept. 19. A half-day aboard the Winner Queen, a 75-foot charter boat, wasn’t the kind of treatment Ward expected when he decided to move into the barracks last month.
Then again, neither was the bond he’s forming with the other leathernecks in the barracks. It’s where Marines don’t always have to talk about how they feel about what they’re going through — they just know.
“It’s a great thing,” he said, sitting on a couch in the barracks’ lounge. “I was expecting to be in therapy all day. I love fishing. It’s just a passion of mine.”
His persistence paid off. He reeled in three fish, including a blue snapper and black sea bass, giving him the largest catch of the day.
Lance Cpl. Dustin Gross, who was also with 3/8 when he was wounded, and his fishing buddy, Frank Grant, a Wilmington, N.C., resident and former Marine who organized the fishing trip, didn’t mind not catching a single fish. The warm sun and 4-foot waves made the trip worthwhile, he said.
For Grant, the day was a way to thank the wounded Marines. He was able to raise the $2,750 needed for the excursion in just 10 days through donations from community groups, primarily veterans.
A relaxing day of fishing brought Gross, a 21-year-old from Pendleton, Ky., one day closer to getting out of the wheelchair he’s been in since suffering injuries from a roadside bomb that detonated under his truck July 22 in Ramadi.
“It turned out to be a gorgeous day,” Gross said of the fishing trip. “I would have loved to have had a jet ski out there.”
Gross, whose nickname is “Timmy” after the wheelchair-bound character on Comedy Central’s “South Park,” hopes to walk on his own in another six to eight months.
And then there’s Sgt. Jeremy Fountain. Doctors told him he’d never walk again. He’s proved them wrong.
The 23-year-old Homedale, Idaho, native, then with 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, had his legs shredded by a couple hundred pieces of shrapnel from a July 10, 2005, roadside bomb near Fallujah.
When he moved into the barracks nearly six months ago, he was unmotivated and feeling sorry for himself. Now, he shares his recovery with others and plans to become a physical therapist.
“It’s actually a morale booster for a lot of these guys,” said Fountain, who managed to snag a 5-inch bass. “There’s a lot of people out there who want to do these kinds of things for us. I think it’s wonderful.”
Not everyone was successful with rod and reel.
“I didn’t catch nothing,” said Sgt. Jason Simms, a 28-year-old from Philadelphia. “The fish kept stealing my bait.”
Simms’ fishing trip may not have been a success, but his recovery has been a remarkable one. You’d never know he suffered second- and third-degree burns on his face. And the limp caused by his own weapon, triggered by flames, which fired three bullets into his right leg, is hardly noticeable.
Simms remembers little about how he was injured in Fallujah on July 1, 2004. He heard a bang, saw a flash and woke momentarily with his face and right hand on fire. Shrapnel broke his leg, and his right pinkie finger had to be removed in November.
He was one of the first Marines to move into the barracks 11 months ago after realizing he wouldn’t recover until he took it easy. As a platoon sergeant, he would reinjure himself during physical activities such as running.
“Here, I can go to my appointments and not miss anything,” he said. “It just gives me time to get better.”
And the sooner he’s better, the closer he comes to his goal of returning to Iraq. He misses his Marines with 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion.
“I’d like to stay in the infantry,” he said. “I love what I do. I love being a Marine.”
Ellie
Reel recovery
Fishing trip gives wounded Marines deep-sea therapy
By Trista Talton
Staff writer
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — Reeling in fish from the depths of the crystal-blue Atlantic Ocean was tough on Lance Cpl. Kenneth Ward’s arm.
His left knee and arm are still tender from shrapnel from a rocket-propelled grenade attack on members of his unit, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, the night of June 29 in Ramadi, Iraq. Ward’s short-term memory loss is getting better, but his brain injury continues to cause problems, including migraines.
But that didn’t stop him from fighting through the discomfort on a sunny mid-September day 15 miles off the North Carolina coast.
The 20-year-old Madisonville, Ky., native was one of about 30 Marines from the Wounded Warrior Barracks at Camp Lejeune who were treated to a deep-sea fishing trip Sept. 19. A half-day aboard the Winner Queen, a 75-foot charter boat, wasn’t the kind of treatment Ward expected when he decided to move into the barracks last month.
Then again, neither was the bond he’s forming with the other leathernecks in the barracks. It’s where Marines don’t always have to talk about how they feel about what they’re going through — they just know.
“It’s a great thing,” he said, sitting on a couch in the barracks’ lounge. “I was expecting to be in therapy all day. I love fishing. It’s just a passion of mine.”
His persistence paid off. He reeled in three fish, including a blue snapper and black sea bass, giving him the largest catch of the day.
Lance Cpl. Dustin Gross, who was also with 3/8 when he was wounded, and his fishing buddy, Frank Grant, a Wilmington, N.C., resident and former Marine who organized the fishing trip, didn’t mind not catching a single fish. The warm sun and 4-foot waves made the trip worthwhile, he said.
For Grant, the day was a way to thank the wounded Marines. He was able to raise the $2,750 needed for the excursion in just 10 days through donations from community groups, primarily veterans.
A relaxing day of fishing brought Gross, a 21-year-old from Pendleton, Ky., one day closer to getting out of the wheelchair he’s been in since suffering injuries from a roadside bomb that detonated under his truck July 22 in Ramadi.
“It turned out to be a gorgeous day,” Gross said of the fishing trip. “I would have loved to have had a jet ski out there.”
Gross, whose nickname is “Timmy” after the wheelchair-bound character on Comedy Central’s “South Park,” hopes to walk on his own in another six to eight months.
And then there’s Sgt. Jeremy Fountain. Doctors told him he’d never walk again. He’s proved them wrong.
The 23-year-old Homedale, Idaho, native, then with 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, had his legs shredded by a couple hundred pieces of shrapnel from a July 10, 2005, roadside bomb near Fallujah.
When he moved into the barracks nearly six months ago, he was unmotivated and feeling sorry for himself. Now, he shares his recovery with others and plans to become a physical therapist.
“It’s actually a morale booster for a lot of these guys,” said Fountain, who managed to snag a 5-inch bass. “There’s a lot of people out there who want to do these kinds of things for us. I think it’s wonderful.”
Not everyone was successful with rod and reel.
“I didn’t catch nothing,” said Sgt. Jason Simms, a 28-year-old from Philadelphia. “The fish kept stealing my bait.”
Simms’ fishing trip may not have been a success, but his recovery has been a remarkable one. You’d never know he suffered second- and third-degree burns on his face. And the limp caused by his own weapon, triggered by flames, which fired three bullets into his right leg, is hardly noticeable.
Simms remembers little about how he was injured in Fallujah on July 1, 2004. He heard a bang, saw a flash and woke momentarily with his face and right hand on fire. Shrapnel broke his leg, and his right pinkie finger had to be removed in November.
He was one of the first Marines to move into the barracks 11 months ago after realizing he wouldn’t recover until he took it easy. As a platoon sergeant, he would reinjure himself during physical activities such as running.
“Here, I can go to my appointments and not miss anything,” he said. “It just gives me time to get better.”
And the sooner he’s better, the closer he comes to his goal of returning to Iraq. He misses his Marines with 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion.
“I’d like to stay in the infantry,” he said. “I love what I do. I love being a Marine.”
Ellie