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Marine Chooses Wedding Ring Over Finger
Yahoo! News ^ | 12/12/2004 | Associated Press

Posted on 12/12/2004 12:21:59 PM PST by Angry Republican

VICTORVILLE, Calif. - When Marine Lance Cpl. David Battle learned he'd either have to sacrifice his ring finger or the wedding band he wore, he told doctors at a field hospital in Iraq to cut off the finger.

The 19-year-old former high school football star suffered a mangled left hand and serious wounds to his legs in a Nov. 13 fire fight in Fallujah. Battle, who is recovering at his parents' home in this desert city 80 miles northeast of Los Angeles, came under attack as he and fellow Marines entered a building. Eleven other Marines were wounded.

Doctors were preparing to cut off Battle's ring to save as much of his finger as they could.

"But that would mean destroying my wedding ring," he said. "My wife is the strongest woman I know. She's basically running two people's lives since I've been gone. I don't think I could ever repay her or show her how grateful ... how much I love my wife, my soul mate."

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: iraq; marine; ring; wia; wife; wrappedaround
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Sad how the doctors lost his ring. Kinda destroys the sweetness of the article.
1 posted on 12/12/2004 12:21:59 PM PST by Angry Republican
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To: Angry Republican

That's a great article. But how did the doctors lose the ring? Sheesh!


2 posted on 12/12/2004 12:27:29 PM PST by writer33 (The U.S. Constitution defines a conservative)
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To: Angry Republican

The guy was a fool for making that decision. A ring can certainly be replace or repaired. Now he's got neither a finger nor a ring.


BTW, this article was posted hours ago.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1299726/posts


3 posted on 12/12/2004 12:28:26 PM PST by ClintonBeGone (In politics, sometimes it's OK for even a Wolverine to root for a Buckeye win.)
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To: Angry Republican

Unbelievable...

Any doctor who would do that should be drummed out of
the Medical Corp. Un professional, un necessary, and
in violation of his Oath.

The Marine's wife wll probably bitchslap him for being
so stupid.


4 posted on 12/12/2004 12:29:20 PM PST by konaice
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To: writer33
"That's a great article. But how did the doctors lose the ring? Sheesh!"

Same why I lost my meds after I'd had surgery in a MTF...someone stole it.

5 posted on 12/12/2004 12:29:37 PM PST by Cornpone ((Aging Warrior))
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To: Angry Republican
Obviously not the sharpest knife in the drawer...
I know, it was his finger to choose.

When my three-year-old daughter did something with her ring and her finger swelled and endangered her hand, it took two miliseconds to know the proper thing to do: cut the sucker off.
It took a bit longer, about two weeks, to have the ring repaired to like-new condition; and a bit larger.

6 posted on 12/12/2004 12:30:56 PM PST by Publius6961 (The most abundant things in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity.)
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To: Angry Republican

Am I the only one who thinks that the dotors were wrong even to give him the option? A wedding ring can be repaired or replaced. To mutilate a human body merely to save a piece of metal is not what I would describe as "sweet."


7 posted on 12/12/2004 12:30:57 PM PST by ScottFromSpokane (We're none of us prefect.)
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To: ScottFromSpokane

OK, I guess I'm not the only one.


8 posted on 12/12/2004 12:31:21 PM PST by ScottFromSpokane (We're none of us prefect.)
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To: Angry Republican

Young and future Lib-Democrat. Maybe some day run for office, or head up the DNC.


9 posted on 12/12/2004 12:31:57 PM PST by fish hawk
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To: Cornpone

That's one good explanation.


10 posted on 12/12/2004 12:32:19 PM PST by writer33 (The U.S. Constitution defines a conservative)
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To: fish hawk

How you figure? A lib would sacrifice the ring. Makes cheating on the wife easier.


11 posted on 12/12/2004 12:34:10 PM PST by Angry Republican (yvan eht nioj!)
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To: Angry Republican

And that would be with another guy.


12 posted on 12/12/2004 12:36:41 PM PST by fish hawk
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To: ScottFromSpokane

No, you're not the only one. Geez.


13 posted on 12/12/2004 12:37:33 PM PST by prion (Yes, as a matter of fact, I AM the spelling police)
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To: Angry Republican

The Marine at least had an excuse because he was wounded and not thinking clearly -- probably on morphine -- but those quack doctors are losers and should be investigated!!!


14 posted on 12/12/2004 12:38:56 PM PST by KittyKares
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To: Angry Republican
Okay...

Like others don't know why the Doctors even gave him a choice. Cut the stupid ring off and give him the pieces. Melt the sucker down and make a new one!

From the ashes will be reborn.

I would not even be wearing a wedding band in a combat area. To easy to catch on latches, hooks, handles and various other protruding objects. Easy way when your are jumping or sliding off a vehicle. Nope wedding ring goes on a neck chain inside the fatigues.
15 posted on 12/12/2004 12:39:30 PM PST by Syntyr
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To: konaice

Where's the picture of the girl kicking the man in the groin? That picture would show exactly what the wife should do to the doctor.


16 posted on 12/12/2004 12:39:59 PM PST by Angry Republican (yvan eht nioj!)
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To: Angry Republican

Well, his heart was in the right place, even if his head wasn't. If I were the wife, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if he had decided to have the finger cut off just to save the ring. Love goes both ways.


17 posted on 12/12/2004 12:40:17 PM PST by Ex-Dem (AFL-CIO - Where organized labor becomes organized crime.)
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To: ClintonBeGone
The guy was a fool

...SACRIFICE is never foolish.......with the ring or without.....his selflessness is REWARD in itself.......unless of course you believe his service to also be foolish.

18 posted on 12/12/2004 12:44:38 PM PST by PISANO (Never Forget 911!! & 911's 1st Heroes..... "Beamer, Glick, Bingham & Bennett.")
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To: Angry Republican
Different version of events:

In hell's waiting room

19 posted on 12/12/2004 12:45:46 PM PST by A.A. Cunningham
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To: konaice

A doctor who would allow an injured young soldier to make such a ridiculous choice ought not to be a doctor.


20 posted on 12/12/2004 12:51:10 PM PST by OldFriend (PRAY FOR MAJ. TAMMY DUCKWORTH)
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