I had the pleasure of attending an exhibition baseball game between the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox yesterday and it was memorable. Not necessarily for the game, but for the Wounded Warriors I met that were honored by the
Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital's Home Base Program. Each recovering service man and woman I met was special and one individual stands out.
Marine Staff Sgt. Marcus Burleson, an EOD technician, was deployed to Helmand Province and serving with Georgian NATO troops. Tragically, the IED he was attempting to defuse exploded and critically wounded him. SSgt. Burleson sustained multiple injuries including the loss of sight in one eye, a mid arm amputation, paralysis of his other arm and severe facial injuries. He is one of the very few foreign nationals to be awarded with one of Georgia’s the highest military honors,
the General Kvinitadze medal. He received the award from the
Georgian President, Mikheil Saakashvili at
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center last month for his actions.
He is grateful for the support and love of his wife and children and hopes to remain in the Corps. I was honored to meet Marcus and the other brave men and women who serve our country and make a difference with their selfless service. It is the service men and women like Marcus who reaffirm our enduring commitment to our wounded warriors and their families.
John R. Campbell
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense
Wounded Warrior Care & Transition Policy