Posted on 07/27/2006 2:35:03 PM PDT by new yorker 77
FORT STEWART, Ga. - During a rally for more than 8,000 Georgia troops, Vice President Dick Cheney administered the re-enlistment oath Friday to a 24-year-old Army gunner determined to remain in the ranks after losing his left leg last year to a bomb blast in Iraq.
Flanked by risers crowded with his fellow 3rd Infantry Division troops, Cpl. Jerrod Fields of Chicago raised his right hand before Cheney and pledged to serve another four years. The Army approved Fields to remain in his cavalry unit after he passed his physical fitness test with flying colors, including running 2 miles in 14 minutes, 9 seconds with a prosthetic leg.
"I wasn't going to let the bad guys, the enemy, affect a decision I'd already made," said Fields, who was wounded by a roadside bomb while driving a Bradley armored vehicle near Rustamayah, Iraq, in February 2005.
Fields opted to have his leg amputated below the knee to improve his chances of returning to active duty. He said Cheney offered words of personal praise offstage.
"He just told me job well done," Fields said. "He was happy that I decided to stay in and said just to keep pushing."
Cheney traveled to Fort Stewart, about 40 miles southwest of Savannah, to thank Army troops of the 3rd Infantry and the 48th Infantry Brigade of the Georgia National Guard for their service in Iraq.
The 19,000 soldiers of the 3rd Infantry finished their second combat tour in December. The 48th Brigade returned in May after deploying more than 4,500 citizen-soldiers to Iraq for a year. It was the largest deployment of Georgia guardsmen since World War II.
Cheney promised the troops the U.S. will keep fighting in Iraq until it can declare victory, and urged Americans not to become complacent nearly five years after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
`We have only two options in Iraq: victory or defeat. And I want you to know, as members of the United States military, the American people do not support a policy of retreat of defeatism," Cheney said. "We want to complete the mission, get it done right and return with honor."
The soldiers cheered raucously for Cheney after waiting two hours on the Fort Stewart parade grounds, where the July sun pushed temperatures past 90 degrees. Troops dabbed sweat from brows topped with black berets. And Cheney quickly shed his dark suit coat after taking the outdoor stage.
Fields, who has returned to the field training with his unit, said he was "amazed" to be re-enlisted by the vice president.
But the 3rd Infantry's commander, Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, said the young soldier had earned it.
"He's gone through eight legs because he's so difficult and demanding on that artificial leg," Lynch said. "I've got to tell you, I'm inspired by him as an individual and I'm inspired by him as a soldier."
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Russ Bynum has covered the military in Georgia since 2001.
"He's gone through eight legs because he's so difficult and demanding on that artificial leg," Lynch said. "I've got to tell you, I'm inspired by him as an individual and I'm inspired by him as a soldier."
bttt
Bless our heroes, every one!
Vice President Dick Cheney swears Cpl. Jerrod Fields as he re-enlists in the Army Friday, July 21, 2006, at Fort Stewart, Ga., as his wife, Kirra Fields, watches. Fields was wounded by an improvised explosive device in 2005 while he was serving in Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division. (AP Photo/Stephen Morton)
Vice President Dick Cheney swears Cpl. Jerrod Fields as he re-enlists in the Army Friday, July 21, 2006, at Fort Stewart, Ga., as his wife, Kirra Fields, watches. Fields was wounded by an improvised explosive device in 2005 while he was serving in Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division. (AP Photo/Stephen Morton)
awesome heroes we have.........
That's a hero. G-d bless him.
Simply Amazing........that is what a real American in made of......
Sad story what happened to the GI pictured there...
I humbly, gratefully take my hat off to this heroic soldier. You can bet he won't hear a word of praise from the liberals, nor will they hold him up as an example to other young Americans.
God Bless our troops for their dedication to our country.
What happened to him?
HOO-AH
Men should be judged by the content of their character... It takes all kinds to make this, the great country that it is......and Freedom, is not free. It is Heroes like these that make me proud to be an American....and proud to serve.
PING!
Miller's life has collapsed in the face of post-traumatic stress disorder. He draws a disability pension for his condition and his personal life is a wreck. He suffers from nightmares, panic attacks and survivor's guilt. Despite the immense goodwill of a grateful nation, Miller has slumped into struggle and despair. Last week came the news that he and his childhood sweetheart, Jessica, were getting divorced.
This is what led to him getting discharged:
he was sent to New Orleans. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita had left the city burning, flooded and being looted. Waiting offshore in a troop transport, it appeared to Miller as if he were returning to urban combat. It would be Falluja by the bayou. When another marine in his boat made a whistling sound, like a rocket-propelled grenade, Miller suddenly blacked out. When he came to, he found he had assaulted the man, pinning him to the ground. He was honourably discharged on 10 November, 2005 - exactly one year after the photograph that made him famous was published around the globe. He was diagnosed as suffering from post-traumatic stress.
Want to show your support for our guys and gals on the frontlines in Iraq and Afghanistan?
Go to www.anysoldier.com and get addresses to which you can send care packages.
America's best are asking for snack foods, books, CDs, DVDs, personal hygiene items, magazines, etc.
Go to the post office and pick up one of the flat-rate boxes or go to www.usps.com and request that the boxes be sent to you. They're free! Be sure to order the customs forms as well. The postage only costs $8.10 to ship a box of goodies to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Chaplains and commanders have said that getting these packages is an incredible morale boost for our troops.
It is deeply moving to know that men like Cpl. Fields are doing what they do to protect our country and all of us.
Thank you, Cpl. Fields.
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