Photo By Gunnery Sgt. Daniel Wetzel | Sgt. Brian McPherson blasts across the finish line during the 100 meter sprint...... read more read more
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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Growing up, Sgt. Brian McPherson remembers he was driven to be able to do things himself and to make his parents proud. Beyond that, his memory doesn’t go much further.
He was focused and enjoyed working hard to get what he wanted. When he decided to join the military, he said he wanted to be the best. The Marine Corps was his only option.
“My desire to achieve and to please my parents took everything the Marine Corps stands for to the next level,” McPherson said. “The Corps is about being motivated, dedicated and always doing what’s right.”
McPherson’s decision to join the Corps and fight for his country would forever change his life.
In January 2008, a suicide bomber, disguised as an Iraqi police officer, walked into his unit, blasting McPherson back into his HMMWV, rendering him unconscious.
“That’s affected my ability to remember things short-term,” McPherson said. “That’s a challenge I have to overcome everyday.”
But for McPherson, overcoming the challenges is the least he can do to honor those who didn’t make it home from his deployment.
“He lost a platoon leader over there,” Betsy said. “Brian said he’s running for (his fallen leader) because he’s not here to do it now.”
Though McPherson is wounded, his wounds are invisible to those who don’t know him. But his invisible wounds don’t keep him from striving to do his best and to help those in need.
“People don’t always see what’s missing,” McPherson said. “A lot of guys from Vietnam are in my same shoes and those invisible wounds are never seen, never heard of. I feel that today, we are showing that to America.”
The Warrior Games is an opportunity for veterans to show America they won’t let what has happened slow them down, McPherson said.
“No matter what happens to disabled veterans like me, we will continue our lives without a leg, arm, cognitive ability, or any other injury sustained during our fight in the war on terror,” McPherson said. “No matter what happens to us, it will never slow us down. You may put a bump in our road but that is just an obstacle for us to overcome.”
Although McPherson didn’t play sports in high school, he said one thing that’s helped him most in his recovery has been training for the Warrior Games and training to be a triathlete.
“I couldn’t remember riding a bicycle as a child,” McPherson said. “I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get on one and know what to do. I thought I would need training wheels.”
It turned out that McPherson was able to do more than he originally thought. Little by little, he progressed until he eventually won the gold medal in the 30k open cycling competition and the 1500 meter run at the 2013 Warrior Games.
“It’s given me the drive to take everything to the next level,” McPherson said.
He takes life one day at a time, using what he calls the “three P’s” to help with recovery: passion, patience and persistence. He encourages anyone who may not feel comfortable leaving the house to take those baby steps and start participating in the community to start healing.
“Be passionate about something,” McPherson said. “Whether that’s playing video games or walking a 5k, set time aside during your day for that. That passion is going to take away the down-in-the-dump feeling.”
McPherson has learned, though, that patience is the most important thing.
“It’s not going to happen tomorrow, it may not happen next month,” McPherson said. “It may even take a couple of years. But if you’re patient, greatness will come to you.”
| Date Taken: | 05.15.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 05.15.2013 18:37 |
| Story ID: | 106964 |
| Location: | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, US |
| Hometown: | NASHPORT, OH, US |
| Web Views: | 122 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Marine Overcomes Invisible Wounds, by GySgt Daniel Wetzel, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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