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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Seven Marines and one sailor with 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, received the Purple Heart Medal during a ceremony held outside of the regimental headquarters here, July 23, 2014.
The eight service members sustained injuries while deployed to Helmland Province, Afghanistan, in support of the security transition to Afghan National Security Forces from September 2013 to May 2014. The ceremony was held to recognize their personal sacrifices and dedication to duty during this time.
“These Marines were wounded in the process of putting everything on the line to complete the mission at hand,” said Lt. Col. Corey Collier, the commanding officer for 1/9.
One of the recipients, Corporal Ian Gorman, a machine gunner with 1/9, was providing suppressive fire for Marines when the enemy’s focus switched to his vehicle. Members of his unit were trying to traverse 200 feet of open terrain between structures while engaged by enemy forces. Gorman and his vehicle-mounted machine gun were tasked with minimizing the enemy’s opportunities.
“We were providing cover for some Marines when we took machine gun fire. Rounds hit all around my turret. One round went into my kevlar, down the side of my head and right by my ear,” said Gorman. “One more inch and I would have been dead.”
The other service members honored for their sacrifices were: Sgt. Kyle M. Edwards, a motor transportation chief; Sgt. Chad C. Skaggs, a squad leader; Cpl. Eric W. Stump, a squad leader; LCpl. Alexander C. Edwards, a rifleman; LCpl. Kristoffer D. Paro, a rifleman; LCpl. Austin J. Dishman, an automatic rifleman; and Seaman Jacob M. Schlauder, a hospital corpsman.
The recipients, like many wounded warriors before them, do not consider the Purple Heart Medal as a personal award, but as a worn memorial for those who didn’t make it home.
“When people ask me about my Purple Heart, it’s not about me getting hit. It’s more of a reminder of the people who weren’t so lucky,” said Gorman.
The recent deployment to Afghanistan will be the last of the regiment until it is disbanded. The unit was temporarily activated to help support operations in Afghanistan. The infantrymen of 1/9 will be reassigned to other units on Camp Lejeune to continue their service.
| Date Taken: | 07.23.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 07.25.2014 14:45 |
| Story ID: | 137327 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 422 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, 1/9 presents Purple Heart Medals to wounded warriors, by LCpl Preston McDonald, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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